Lee Daniels has announced his younger sister Lydia Ruth Daniels-Rooks, who inspired the Empire character Cookie Lyon, has died.
Deadline reports that Daniels posted about his sister’s death on his Instagram, writing, “As the fires are burning, so is my heart.”
“My younger sister Lydia has passed. She was also my best friend,” he continued. “In Empire, the character of Cookie was based partly on her life. She’s left four beautiful children and five grandchildren behind. RIP Girly… I LOVE YOU FOREVER[.]”
Several celebrities, including RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Shea Couleé, celebrity hair stylist Ted Gibson, singer/actress Estelle, and actors Billy Porter, Kym Whitley, Star actress Ryan Destiny, Halle Berry and Empire actress Ta’Rhonda Jones sent their condolences in the comments, among others.
Cookie Lyon was the loud and audacious matriarch of the musical Lyon family on Empire. Taraji P. Henson played the character, which quickly became one of the biggest draws for fans watching the series. She was nominated for two Emmys and won a Golden Globe for the portrayal. Debuting in 2015, the series became a hit for Fox and lasted for six seasons, ending in 2020. It also spawned a spinoff series, Star.
