‘Empire’ Star Taraji P. Henson Explains Why She Won’t Date Co-Stars Like Terrence Howard

Although their tempestuous on-and-off again romance on “Empire” is perhaps the steamiest relationship on TV, don’t expect the real-life counterparts of Cookie and Lucious Lyon to fall in love anytime soon on the Season 2 set. As actress Taraji P. Henson explains it, she’s just not that into her co-stars.

In a new interview with Allure magazine, the “Empire” matriarch gets candid about her love life and reveals why fans won’t see her arm-in-arm with a familiar face. For Cookie and Lucious shippers, there wasn’t much hope that Henson and her co-star Terrence Howard would become a real couple outside the show. Henson shot down those possibilities with a healthy dose of logic.

Citing professional decisions, Henson, 44, told the magazine, “I didn't want to blur the lines. This is a job that I have to do. I cannot get caught up in it.” In order to avoid awkward on-set altercations or possibly even losing a job, she pointed out how easy it would be to avoid the whole mess. “And if I sleep with these guys, why would they want to work with me again?”

As Cookie on “Empire,” Henson has made an indelible impression on the series’ fans. Recently, she explained in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that she was nothing like her character. Henson even conceded that some of her friends now call to check in on Cookie more so than they do for her. Production on “Empire” Season 2 is underway and new episodes will begin premiering this fall.

On the popular Fox drama, Cookie had been released from jail only to find her husband Luscious (Howard) had moved on. After briefly rekindling their romance, by the end of Season 1, Cookie had decided to distance herself from her ex-husband’s cruelty.

Ahead of Season 2, news broke that Cookie would be getting a new potential love interest in Season 2 with the casting of Adam Rodriguez. Incidentally, Rodriguez is a former costar of Henson’s from the Tyler Perry movie, “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.”

“Empire” returns to Fox on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Sept. 23.