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Fired ‘Empire’ Actor Malik Yoba Hits Drugs Allegation

Garrett Montgomery

Malik Yoba was fired from Empire for drugs, a rumor suggested, but the actor is fighting back in a very powerful way. Yoba has fired back after a drugs allegation hit the web, following his Empire exit. Days after a report surfaced claiming that Malik Yoba’s character, Vernon Turner, was killed off on Empire due to his alleged drug abuse problem, the veteran actor took to social media to say, stop spreading rumors about him.

Malik Yoba

Update March 24:

Malik Yoba fired back after a drugs allegation hit the internet. Days after Empire‘s season finale, where fans were shocked to see Malik Yoba’s character, Vernon Turner, better known as Uncle Vernon, murdered by Andre’s pregnant wife; rumors started swirling on the internet claiming that the star was booted off because of drugs.

Frustrated by the rumors, Malik Yoba fired back via Twitter where he asked people to spread love not rumors. He also told commentators not to confuse Vernon who used cocaine with Yoba. Mr Yoba wrote:

#Empire fans #Vernon Did The Coke Not Malik Yoba #spreadLOVEnotRUMORS

The religious star later shared an uplifting tweet that read:

“Be careful out there family, the devil is a liar trying to steal our joy with fear doubt and confusion. Stay the course of righteousness.”

Many of Malik Yoba’s fans rapidly flocked to Twitter to show support.

Previously:

The headline “Empire’s Malik Yoba Fired, Drugs To Be Blamed” is trending. Malik Yoba always knew that his stay on Empire was going to be brief, but that does not mean he is thrilled to leave one of the most successful shows on television.

In the finale of Season 1 of Empire, Malik Yoba‘s character Vernon Turner, decided to visit Andre Lyon played by Trai Byers after his meltdown and their failed attempt to take the company from Terrence Howard‘s character Lucious Lyon/Dwight Walker.

Malik Yoba, aka Vernon Turner, even brought a little gift for the young man he helped raise and groom to become the head of Empire. But Vernon Turner should have known that you don’t mess with a bipolar man, who found and lost Jesus and was not picked by his father to be CEO of his billion dollar business and was dumped by his wife.

As Turner was trying to make peace with Mr Lyon, an epic fight broke out. During the brawl, Andre was pinned to the ground by Vernon, which is when his wife, Rhonda Lyon, played by Kaitlin Doubleday, walked in and hit him with what looked like a trophy on the head.

Poor man, he bled to death because Andre would not call the ambulance due to the fact that he had just learned that his wife is pregnant. At the end of the episode, we also learned that he was the snitch, who told the cops that Luscious killed Marcus “Bunkie” Campbell, Cookie’s cousin.

Few days after the episode aired, Malik Yoba did an interview with TMZ, where he shared the following information: While they were filming the eleventh episode he learned that he was going to get killed off in episode 12.

He was in Ferguson, Missouri raising money for an organization that helps young black men when series co-creator Lee Daniels, called and said that Fox demanded that he be dumped from the show.

Yoba stayed diplomatic and said he was sad to leave, but holds no grudges against Daniels. The veteran actor who is also a great singer and musician said:

“I had no idea.I found out two days before the show got picked up for a second season. In some ways, I wasn’t surprised because I didn’t feel the character had developed. He’s been on the fringes and hadn’t really been integrated into stories. We didn’t know anything about him. As an actor, I tried to make him as powerful and truthful as I could, whether it was with a look or quick word of monologue.”

He later appeared on The Combat Jack Show, where he blamed head writer Ilene Chaiken for getting him fired. The former New York Undercover actor, said:

“She runs the writer’s room, she’s in charge of hiring the directors and oversees the whole creative process of the show. So, I was definitely like ‘Dude? Really? There’s no way we can like… that’s the story.”

He went on to add that the writers should have done a better job with the character. Malik Yoba who is proud of his Muslim roots explained:

“It’s bad enough y’all haven’t written anything real significant that I can sink my teeth into.People don’t even know who Vernon was.”

Prior to getting fired and being hit with drug allegations, Malik Yoba stated that he loved working on the show and was happy that Vernon was a tough and complicated character. Yoba said at the time:

“It’s funny because when I read stuff on the page sometimes it reads like Vernon is supposed to be the yes-man. Something as simple as asking, “Who else knows about this?” after he tells me Anika (Grace Gealey) knows about his sickness. It’s very different to ask the question like, “Yo, who else knows, who knows?!” Like I’m threatening to f— you up if you tell me the wrong answer. There’s a way to play the scenes that give you what you feel. I’m not a yes-man and I don’t look at it as Vernon works for Lucious, even if the writers are like, “he works for Lucious.” We work together. In real life, even if you hire me to work for you, I’m gonna work with you. I’m just not built to be that dude, that yes-man. So that’s more the actor than the writer.”

Malik Yoba has not commented on the drugs allegation, he is instead focused on Iconic32, a company he co-founded, which helps promote and develop socially-driven art, music, fashion and technology. Iconic32 did consultancy work for Empire. There is a possibility that he may return to the show’s second season as a director. Yoba claimed that Daniels promised him the directing job and added:

“Directing for me is more about storytelling and how stories are told through visual mediums. I love to direct theater, too. I just like seeing things come together. It’s much more organic for me than like someone who has a background in photography so they understand lighting in a certain way, or someone who’s more like a painter. I don’t think I’m that type of director. I’m more about the look, the performance, and the storytelling. I love how visually things can look. I’ve directed web series, music videos, film shorts, and theater. It’s just a hat I put on.”

Fans are not happy about Malik Yoba’s messy exit from the show and they are blaming the network for not handling the situation differently. The outrage has taken a life of its own on social media.

What are your thoughts on Yoba’s comments? Did drugs get Malik Yoba fired?

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