Woman Claims She’s the Real Cookie Lyon, Sues ‘Empire’ Creators
A Detroit woman named Sophia Eggleston, who says she is the “real-life Cookie Lyons,” has filed a $300 million lawsuit against Empire co-creator Lee Daniels and Fox, claiming that Daniels and Fox stole her life story.
In the suit, the 53-year-old Eggleston states that she was a “drug kingpin” who was convicted of manslaughter and spent time in prison for putting a “hit” on someone. All of this was recorded in her memoir, The Hidden Hand.
In 2011, Eggleston traveled to L.A. and met with screenwriter Rita Miller, to whom Eggleston claims she gave a copy of her book. Eggleston also claims that she received a call from Miller some months after saying that she was going to pitch her story to Daniels.
When the program debuted in 2015, Eggleston says, the Cookie character “was similar in behavior, style of dress, and background” to her. The suit says she was “dismayed to see the various similarities of events and characters… so numerous and specific, especially… Cookie Lyon, that independent creation was obviously impossible.”
Furthermore, the suit claims that there are specific similarities between Eggleston’s life and that of the Cookie Lyons character. “Cookie was a drug kingpin that went to jail. So did plaintiff Eggleston. Cookie is released from jail confinement and immediately places a hit on a certain individual. Plaintiff… actually was jailed for doing the actual hit on a man.”
Eggleston’s suit cites Cookie’s mink coats and gay son — “Plaintiff has a gay brother,” reads the suit — as further evidence that Daniels and Fox ripped off her life story. “Any differences between Empire and The Hidden Hand are dwarfed by the overwhelming similarities between both works and those minimal differences even confirm that Plaintiff’s original expression in The Hidden Hand was crudely copied by Defendants Daniels and Strong,” reads a section of the suit’s first cause of action.
As for Eggleston, she told The Post, “The whole city’s been telling me Cookie is basically me, any jury would rule for me — $300 million is a very small price for taking my whole life and stealing it.”
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17 Comments
Kenny
August 08, 05:36Reallyy? Cookie was a drug kingpin???? This bitch just wants to rip off the franchise
Pink Panther
August 08, 05:46Everyone is an opportunist in America.
ambivalentone
August 08, 07:46Jo o. There arw just too many bridges in America to waste life counting. Money must be made
Kenny
August 08, 05:39Can’t wait till sept 23 though…… The trailer released yesterday gave me life.
KingBey
August 08, 05:45Greedy woman seeking for attention. Biko shift !
Pink Panther
August 08, 05:50LOL. See them. Empire voltrons be vexing.
IVANKO
August 08, 07:26Dis biatchhhh should go and rest oooo, any evil spirit lik her working against Empire, I cast and bind.
JOJOARMANI
August 08, 07:54$300million dollar’s? this woman needs Jesus as much as she needs money…
pete
August 08, 08:10Don’t you guys think her case should be investigated before calling her names. Opportunism works both ways,you know
Max
August 08, 10:17A lot of opportunists in America. Mtchew.
Lothario
August 08, 10:20Ewoooo! This is a siddon look situation…. Lmao! Can’t wait to see how this ends.
Oluwadamilare Okoro
August 08, 11:06This must be settled. * now dialing Harvey Specter*
Pink Panther
August 08, 11:25Hahahahaa. A lover of Suits, I see. I wonder why it’s not Olivia Pope you’re calling to fix this
rev hot
August 08, 12:51BITCH PLEASE…
If I were Lee Daniels, I’d start a trend on twitter/instaG/Facebook where different people from all over the world will be posting ‘I AM COOKIE’ ….. then the woman’s own would just look like one of the million tweets…
don’t laugh, it just might work..
Perez
August 08, 21:35Hahahahahahaaa… Quite ingenious .
kacee
August 08, 13:36Why is she doing this now *crying* where are u MM?
keljohn
August 09, 22:23One word opportunist