Terrence Howard is asking a judge to reconsider the dismissal of his lawsuit against Creative Artists Agency (CAA), alleging the agency helped secure lower compensation for his role on the hit series Empire.
Howard's legal team filed the motion on August 19, arguing that the court overlooked key evidence in its initial ruling. The actor claims CAA, which represented him during negotiations, worked against his financial interests by accepting terms that underpaid him relative to his co-stars.
The lawsuit, first filed in 2024, alleged that CAA breached its fiduciary duty by prioritizing its own relationship with Empire's production company over Howard's pay. The agency has denied wrongdoing, saying it acted in good faith and that Howard's compensation was the result of standard industry negotiations.
A judge dismissed the case earlier this year, but Howard's new motion seeks to reopen it, citing what his attorneys describe as "material facts" that were not properly considered.
CAA has not yet filed a response to the latest motion, but previously called the lawsuit "without merit" and said it would defend itself vigorously.
Legal experts say such motions are rare but not unprecedented, especially when new evidence or legal arguments emerge. The court has not set a date for a hearing on the motion.
Howard, who earned an Oscar nomination for Hustle & Flow, played Lucious Lyon on Empire for all six seasons. His salary for the role has not been publicly disclosed, though reports at the time suggested he earned six figures per episode.
If the motion fails, the case would be permanently closed. If it succeeds, the lawsuit moves forward to discovery — a stage that could expose internal CAA communications about Howard's negotiations.