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 ...

Lydia Ruth Daniels-Rooks, the inspiration behind Cookie Lyon, the character from the hit Fox series Empire, died Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2025. She was 64. Her passing was revealed in a heartfelt Instagram ...

Lee Daniels and Taraji P. Henson as Cookie on 'Empire' Gilbert Flores / Getty Images / Chuck Hodes / Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection Lee Daniels is mourning the loss of his sister Lydia, who ...

Lee Daniels took to Instagram on Jan. 10 to pay tribute to his younger sister, Lydia Ruth Daniels-Rooks, who recently passed away. According to the award-winning director, Lydia helped inspire the ...