Lee Daniels didn’t mince words during the panel for the freshman Fox drama “Empire” during the Television Critics Association press tour on Saturday, offering his frank thoughts on homophobia in the African American community, which he said is “killing African American women.”
Asked about the unapologetic homophobia displayed by central character Lucious Lyon (portrayed by Terrence Howard), “Empire” co-creator Daniels let loose, explaining that the seeds of Lucious’ homophobia were planted when Daniels was researching his 2009 film “Precious.”
“When I did ‘Precious’ I had to do research on AIDS in the ’80s so I went to the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Center in New York City, and I expected to see gay men, and there were nothing but African American women and babies with HIV.