Rhonda Lyon, Empire

Rhonda Lyon (Kaitlin Doubleday)

On musical drama series Empire, main cast character Rhonda Lyon was happily married to Andre Lyon, but were in an open relationship. Her interest in women was first referenced in season 1 episode 8, when Andre suggested she seduce a woman he needed a favor from. They frequently engaged in wife swapping, or Rhonda seducing both men and women for Andre. Her (possible) bisexuality was otherwise invisible on the show, and never referenced.

At the end of season 1, Rhonda accidentally killed Vernon and both she and Andre covered it up so Rhonda wouldn’t go to jail with child. In season 2 her storyline was centered around the pregnancy and then losing the baby.

In the season 2 finale, Rhonda was fighting with Anika (Grace Gealey) on top of a roof when Andre walked out onto the scene to see someone fall off the balcony — but it wasn’t revealed who.

Moments into the Season 3 premiere, Rhonda fell from the sky, her bloody and lifeless body landing on a car. Her subsequent season 3 appearances are part of Andre’s hallucinations.

Appearances:

• 36 episodes.

No female love interests

Relationship story arc with a woman: No

Male love interests:

• Andre (Trai Byers, main cast, husband)

Relationship story arc with a man: Yes

Filter Relationship Arc:

• Male (Regular)

Storyline during sweeps? Yes

[1] A relationship story arc is defined as explicit, developed on screen, and lasting more than 3 episodes. It is listed as questionable or subtext if romance is only implied, mentioned instead of shown on screen, part of a dream sequence, or otherwise not explicit for the viewer.
[2] Sweeps episodes air in February, May, July and November, the periods when advertising rates are set. A character is marked as "sweeps" when there is a very limited number of episodes that address their sexuality, all air during sweeps period, and the storyline is otherwise ignore/dropped.