Mariah Carey will make a guest appearance on “Empire” in an episode that will air Oct. 5.
The 46-year-old singer has long been rumored to be making a cameo appearance in the musical drama series — which was created by her friend Lee Daniels — and it has now been confirmed.
According to a press release, Carey will play Kitty, “a mega-superstar who comes to Empire to collaborate with Jamal Lyon (Jussie Smollett) on an explosive new song. When the duet encounters obstacles, Kitty help Jamal dig deep to overcome personal difficulties and reach a musical breakthrough.”
Jussie, 33, previously spoke of his friendship with Carey, admitting he thinks she’s a “diva,” but also a “regular, chill girl.”
“She’s just the best. She says ‘darling’ a lot. But I say ‘darling’ too as a joke, so it works perfectly. This friendship works very well,” he said.
“She’s a good human being and a really sweet lady … don’t get me wrong, she’s a diva. I said, ‘Do you own flats?’ She’s like ‘Darling, no.’ OK. That’s why she has dope calf muscles. [She has] the greatness of a diva, but [is also] the regular, chill girl that you just want to chill with.”
Joining Carey and the regular cast members for season three will be guests Taye Diggs, Sierra McClain, French Montana and Birdman.
Creator Lee, who previously worked with the “Fantasy” singer in Precious in 2009 and Tennessee in 2008, teased the possibility of his friend appearing on the show a year ago, saying, “Watch her on ‘Empire,’ you guys. She’s coming on ‘Empire.’ ”
And showrunner Ilene Chaiken described the idea of Carey being on the show as an “exciting proposition.”
“It’s not determined yet [who she will play]. There’s a chance Mariah will play herself,” Chaiken said.
