Actor Terrence Howard Expands Lawsuit Against Former Talent Agency Over ‘Empire’ Contract

American actor Terrence Howard has expanded his ongoing legal battle against his former talent agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), alleging that its representatives withheld information regarding lucrative commercial opportunities linked to the television drama series Empire.

Howard, who had previously initiated legal action against the agency over his salary negotiations for the FOX network show, claimed in new court filings that he was not given full information before making critical contract decisions.

According to the lawsuit, the actor’s agents had requested that FOX increase his pay to $750,000 per episode, but the network declined, stating its maximum offer was $325,000 per episode. Howard alleged that during these discussions, his agents failed to inform him that representatives for the Empire fragrance brand had proposed a business partnership centred around him.

The actor stated the proposed deal included a $20,000 launch event payment, paid promotional appearances, a television shopping network feature, and the potential to launch a signature men’s cologne line. Howard argued that by omitting these details, the agency failed to protect his financial interests and forced him to make contract decisions without knowing his full market value.

CAA has denied all allegations of wrongdoing and is currently seeking a dismissal of the lawsuit. The agency argued in its legal response that Howard’s new claims were filed well after the legally allowed time limit for such contractual disputes had expired.