(AllHipHop News) A real life war is raging over one of the most popular characters on “Empire” and it could end up with director Lee Daniels squaring off with the real life “Cookie Lyon” in court.
Author Sophia Eggleston claims director Lee Daniels and Danny Strong stole the Cookie character from her 2009 memoir, “The Hidden Hand.”
In April, Eggleston, who is a former drug kingpin from Detroit, filed a lawsuit against Lee Daniels and Fox, seeking over $10 million in damages.
Eggleston’s lawsuit claimed she met screenwriter Rita Miller at her home in California in 2011, that resulted in a pitch to Daniels.
Apparently, a judge agreed that there were significant similarities between “Empire,” Cookie Lyons and “The Hidden Hand” and dismissed Lee Daniels’ lawyer’s’ bid to have the lawsuit dismissed.
Both sides will be deposed in the upcoming months as the court battle continues.