Yahoo Lifestyle ‘Empire’ Creator Lee Daniels Mourns Death Of His Sister Lydia, Who Inspired Taraji P. Henson’s Cookie
Lee Daniels is mourning the loss of his sister Lydia, who inspired Taraji P. Henson’s Empire character Loretha “Cookie” Lyon.
In a heartfelt post on social media, Daniels paid tribute to his late sister with some touching words and a photo of them together.
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“As the fires are burning, so is my heart. My younger sister Lydia has passed,” Daniels shared on Instagram. “She was also my best friend. 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.”
In the post, Daniels received words of support from the likes of Holly Robinson Peete, Hym Whitley, Kelly Rowland, Patti Labelle, and Billy Porter, who wrote, “So sorry for your [loss]. Sending you all the love and peace that’s possible.”
Henson played Cookie on the Fox drama series throughout its six-season run. Cookie was the outspoken wife of Lucious Lyon, played by Terrance Howard, who, after serving time in prison for drug dealing, returns to reclaim her spot in Empire Entertainment.
Henson received several Emmy nominations for her portrayal of Cookie and won at the 2016 Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama category.
Halle Berry, who won an Oscar for Monster’s Ball, a film produced by Daniels, took to the comments and replied, “Sending all my love to you and your family.”
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