Woman sues 'Empire' creators claiming Cookie was based on her

Detroit - Sophia Eggleston wants a piece of Fox's "Empire."

She's suing the creators claiming she is the real life Cookie Lyon and they stole her life story for the hit show based on a hip hop mogul and his family.

"I don't think I'm Cookie," she said. "I think Cookie tried to play me.

"Everybody in the city went to calling me. Even my 88 year-old auntie said 'Sophia, that 38-year-old Cookie sure does act like you. She wears all the mink coats like you.'"

Between the mink coats that fill her Farmingon Hills closet, her diva behavior and life and death she experienced as a former drug king pin, she says the colorful character is spot on. 

"I start seeing Cookie was a drug connect, Cookie's son was gay, my brother was gay," Eggleston said. "They were switching things around. Cookie's two cousins got  killed. My two sisters were murdered. Lucious Lyon was a producer, my baby's daddy was a producer."

How did the creators get the idea? Sophia claims it is all in her book "The Hidden Hand" - a memoir she penned while in prison, serving time for manslaughter. The 50-year-old has also been convicted for drugs, guns and running from police.

Eggleston says she became good friends with "Empire" screenwriter Rita Miller. 

"I gave her the book when I first met her in 2011," Eggleston said. "And then we became great friends."

She says a few months later,  Miller called her and told her she was going to pitch her story to Lee Daniels.

"She told me she was going to New Jersey to meet Lee Daniels to give him the book," Eggleston said. "Because she thought he would do best with it."

Sophia didn't hear back from her friend Miller, but a few years later "Empire" was born and Lee Daniels is behind the blockbuster's success.

Now Sophia is suing everyone and every group connected to the show for $300 million. A small price she believes for her life story.

"That was sacred to me and you turned it to a hustle and stole it from me," she said. "And you want me to have some respect for what you are doing? I really want them to go to prison."

There has been no response from the FOX Network's public relations, but Miller has denied the allegations. Miller has said in online reports that it is "complete nonsense." She met Eggleston two times in person and talked on the phone a few times and never discussed Lee Daniels. 

Eggleston believes if the case goes before a jury that she will side with her. She says she would then use the money to help the elderly, which she helps right now.