Malik Yoba said too much. The Empire star accidentally outed his co-star Jussie Smollett in an interview with Black Film. Smollett, as Empire fans know, plays a gay character on the hit series, but has not publicly come out himself. 
“I think that our show represents a huge opportunity to stay in the culture beyond entertainment value and there’s an intrinsic nature of you have the gay factor, right? So, obviously, Lee [Daniels] is gay. That was an important storyline for him," Yoba said. "I think it’s important for people to see themselves. Even within the Black community…like I know Jussie, he is gay, and he’s very committed to issues around the LGBT community. He and I have a very close relationship.”
As his star continues to rise, Smollett has been adamant about keeping his personal life private. During a recent interview with Sway on the satellite radio show Sway in the Morning, the young actor was asked about his sexual orientation. He said, “I’m not willing to confirm or deny anything. I live my life. I don’t hide anything; I just don’t choose to talk about my personal life.”

One thing Smollett is happy to talk about, however, is his new record deal. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, he revealed, “There will be a Jussie Smollett album. I signed to Columbia. So darling, [laughs] I’m label mates with Beyoncé and Adele and Barbra Streisand.

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(Photos from left: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, Rommel Demano/Getty Images)