"Empire" star Jussie Smollett didn't want to be encumbered by an entourage of bodyguards when he wasn't working ... despite an offer by Fox a week before the brutal attack. Also, Farrah Abraham is busting out her metaphorical whip and lashing out at haters blasting her for posting a video of her 9-year-old daughter dancing in underwear ... saying back the hell off, 'cause it's what parents do.