[Update] Terrence Howard Loses Legal Battle Claiming CAA Failed to Secure His Requested $750K ‘Empire’ Salary

[Update] Terrence Howard Loses Legal Battle Claiming CAA Failed to Secure His Requested $750K ‘Empire’ Salary

Terrence Howard’s legal fight over his “Empire” pay has ended with a judge siding with Creative Artists Agency.

Howard sued CAA in 2023, claiming the agency failed to advocate for him while also representing parties tied to the Fox drama. He alleged his agents pushed him toward below-market compensation and did not disclose conflicts involving series co-creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, as well as Imagine Entertainment.

“Had CAA disclosed those facts when they mattered, I would have sought independent advice separate from CAA, required corrected compensation information, insisted on a written demand to Fox, and reconsidered whether CAA should continue advising me regarding Empire,” Howard wrote in a court declaration.

Howard sought to raise his per-episode salary from $325,000 to $750,000, along with profit participation and other benefits.

However, Judge Cherol Nellon ruled that any increased payment would have first gone to Howard’s loan-out company, Universal Bridges, making his claimed damages uncertain.

“The immediate economic result of an increase in compensation would have been an increase in revenue to Universal Bridges only,” Nellon wrote.

The judge also noted Fox “rejected all attempts at renegotiation,” clearing CAA of Howard’s claims.

What are your thoughts on this outcome?