Terrence Howard Sues CAA Over Alleged Salary Conflict of Interest

The 'Empire' star claims he was paid less than industry standard, alleges agency prioritized its own profit over his best interest.

Terrence Howard, star of the hit Fox show 'Empire', is suing talent agency CAA for breach of fiduciary duty, alleging that the agency negotiated his salary below industry standard.
Howard asserts that CAA, which also represented the producers of 'Empire', did not act in his best interest as they had a profit participation stake in the series, leading them to maximize total profit rather than pushing for a higher salary for him.
Howard alleges that despite 'Empire' amassing more viewers than 'Big Bang Theory', he was paid less than the sitcom’s star Jim Parsons. His pay started at $125,000 and topped out at $325,000 per episode.
Howard also claims that he was misled about the salaries of similarly-situated actors. He believes he should have been paid on the level of Kevin Spacey in 'House of Cards' or Jon Hamm in 'Mad Men'.
This is not the first lawsuit Howard has filed over his compensation on 'Empire'. In 2020, he sued 20th Century Studios over allegedly unpaid royalties fees for use of his name and likeness on merchandise.