Chris Rock Jokes About Terrence Howard's Abuse Allegations on The Set of 'Empire'

The ghost haunting Terrence Howard's storied career is, of course, the series of domestic violence allegations which have proven difficult for the Empire actor to fully, properly address. When asked about the allegations during an Empire press tour back in January, Howard attributed his behavior to his "rough-and-tumble upbringing," claiming he has since learned how to "deal with frustration." If that response seems a little short of full-on remorse to you, then you're certainly not alone. With the parallels between Empire's Lucious Lyon and Howard impossible to ignore, the ghost continues to linger.

As previously announced, Chris Rock will appear on the forthcoming second season of the blockbuster Fox series, reportedly playing a fellow prisoner with a startling connection to Lyon's past. In a flurry of tweets and Instagrams, the on-set vibes between Rock and Howard seem quite swell — though an incidental stomach punch from Howard during filming prompted a pointed response from Rock. "I don’t know if [the punch] was an accident ," says Rock. "He does have a reputation!"

Empire — also starring Taraji P. Henson, Trai Beyers, Jussie Smollett, and Bryshere Y. Grey — returns on September 25.