Fox drama series "Empire" co-creator Lee Daniels is being sued by a Detroit woman named Sophia Eggleston, who has slapped him and Fox with $300 million lawsuit for stealing her life story for the plot of their hit show.
The 53-year-old woman has filed the lawsuit recently in District Court in Michigan, according to which the plot of the drama series is inspired from her memoir, titled "The Hidden Hand," a copy of which she has allegedly given to the famous screenwriter Rita Miller, Page Six reported. The lawsuit also mentions that a few months later, she got a call from Miller, who claimed that she will pitch the story to Daniels.
The lawsuit further claims that Eggleston, who now provides home care for the elderly, was stunned to find the similarity of events and characters when the show aired its first season in January this year.
Eggleston claims that the character of Cookie Lyon, played by Taraji P. Henson, is reminiscent of her own life as she was also a drug kingpin who had served a few years in jail. Apart from that, she claimed that the show's character have several similarities to her personality such as having a gay member in the family, a taste for mink coats and almost identical dressing style.
Meanwhile, Miller has slammed the lawsuit as an act of greed by Eggleston, with whom she admitted to have met twice in 2011.
"This is a frivolous lawsuit based on ridiculous lies," Daily Mail quoted the screenwriter, who further added that she never mentioned Daniels nor had signed any contract with Eggleston and "has never met anyone from the show."