“Empire” showrunner Ilene Chaiken, in a recent interview, said that it was a tough choice for her to make since both actresses and their respective characters in the show are beloved.
She said that choosing who would die was tough as it was an inconceivable for them that either one would no longer be in the show after.
Actress Grace Gealy is also sad about the loss of Rhonda in the TV series. She said in an interview that ultimately if she had a word to describe it, she would pick the word bittersweet. She also said that she misses Kaitlyn being there in the show.
Her husband Andre witnessed the fall right before Anika’s water broke and he rushed her to the hospital. There, he denounced his faith and went completely dark by saying that he is done with God and His plans especially when Cookie suggested that he pray about the loss of his wife.
For her part, Leah, the mother of Lucious, believes that they are being punished in explaining the ongoing series of unfortunate family events.
Later on in the episode, Andre’s mental health issues beset him as he hallucinates and talks to his dead wife in a dark room. Rhonda’s ghost told him that without her, he is just some Philly thug with mental problems.