While fans wait for a second season of Empire, the actors are dishing out a few tidbits on their popular roles. Serayah McNeil, best known for her role as Tiana, talked to Revolt about the curiosity behind her character's inspiration.

Earlier this month, Iman Shumpert claimed the show's creators stole the "Tiana" persona from his girlfriend and "Maybe" singer Teyana Taylor. He also claimed his identity inspired Hakeem Lyon's character, played by Yazz.

"They're using my girl's character, her style, her look and she's not getting anything for it," he said. "They didn't even change her name. They could have at least let my girl audition for the part instead of stealing her character completely."

He later apologized for his comments, but McNeil says the inspiration behind her character was actually a unique blend of Rihanna and Beyonce. When it comes to her romance with Hakeem, Beyonce's relationship with Jay Z was also kept in mind.

"I talked to the writers and producers," she said. "And a lot of it was Beyonce and Rihanna. They loved the Beyonce and Jay Z thing for me and Hakeem, so we channeled a lot of them for our performances and stuff."

Empire was green-lighted for a second season after the show's first two episodes aired in January, causing up a whirlwind of praise from fans and media outlets. 

Source: Revolt | Photo Credit: Splash News