The fifth season of the American television drama series Empire premiered on September 26, 2018 and ended on May 8, 2019, in the United States on Fox.

Andre, who was placed in a prison correctional facility after Anika's murder and was sentenced to two years, is now preparing for his homecoming, and Hakeem, who is still reeling from the aftermath of the shooting incident, ends up getting shot, and is now focused on raising his own family with Tiana and struggling to get his career back on track.

Also, in an effort to reclaim the Lyons' position in the music industry, Cookie sets her eyes on a talented new singer and rapper, Treasure.

The final moment is Kingsley revealing his biological connection to Lucious to the entire Lyon family at the LFM showcase.

Smollett had been arrested in Chicago one day earlier, on charges of disorderly conduct and filing a false police report in connection with an assault on him that authorities believed he had staged.