Insiders recently suggested Henson and Howard are "at war" with each other because Howard is "jealous" of the airtime his co-star is getting on the TV drama, and he is refusing to speak to her in between takes.

The gossip hit the Internet last week (ends25Sep15) and editors at Star magazine picked up the report, claiming Henson is "uncomfortable" with Howard's recent Rolling Stone magazine admission that he slapped his first wife, Lori MCCommas in 2001.

A source tells the publication, "(Taraji) knows about his violent history and doesn't want to push the wrong buttons. She doesn't really want anything to do with him."

However, Henson's representative is hitting back at the reports, saying, "Terrence and Taraji are the best of friends and professional colleagues."

The two actors have a long history - they both appeared in hit 2005 film Hustle & Flow, and reports suggest Henson urged director Lee Daniels to consider Howard for the role of Lucious Lyon in Empire when she was cast as the music mogul's ex-wife Cookie.