Sophia Eggleston Moves Forward With “Empire” Lawsuit
The real Cookie Lyon is coming for what’s hers…
Sophia Eggleston, the Detroit woman who claims she’s the real Cookie Lyon, scored a major legal victory after a judge cleared the way for her to move forward with her $300 million “Empire” lawsuit.
Via Centric TV:
A Michican U.S. Distrct Judge Terrence Berg tossed a motion filed by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong that sought to put an end to Sophia Eggleston’s suit, which claims that Taraji P. Henson’s character was stolen from her autobiography, The Hidden Hand.
The “Empire” creators, who live in New York and Los Angeles, argued that the lawsuit had no jurisdiction on them, and asked the judge to throw the case out. Unfortunately for them, Judge Berg allowed the lawsuit to go forward in the deposition phase.
Eggleston, 55, claims she wrote “The Hidden Hand” about her early lifestyle as a drug kingpin who did time in jail for manslaughter after she placed a “hit” on a man.
In her lawsuit, Sophia says she traveled to Los Angeles in 2011, met with screenwriter Rita Miller, and gave her a copy of her book. Months later, Eggleston says she received a call from Miller, who informed her she was going to pitch her story Daniels.
When “Empire” premiered in 2015, Sophia Eggleston says Cookie Lyon’s character “was similar in behavior, style of dress, and background” to her.
There are a total of 17 defendants in her lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court in Michigan.
She’s seeking $300 million in damages.
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