A Year in the Life of Empire’s Cookie Lyon
Photo: Fox
If there is one woman who knows how to get stuff done and keep it moving it’s Empire executive Cookie Lyon who heads up A&R for the record label. The entrepreneur, mother and fashion icon reflects on her year since she got sprung from prison. She sat down with TVRD to reflect on her whirlwind year.
TVRD: Hey Cookie, Happy Birthday! You mentioned that this is the first birthday you have celebrated since your release from the big house.
Cookie: Thank you. And yes, that is true, as I told my family.
TVRD: You’ve done so much. So much it’s unbelievable. I mean that literally. There is no way that one person or family could possibly be entangled in so much drama in one year.
Cookie: It has been quite a year. Where did you get that outfit? It’s tacky. Also, you’re kind of a heifer. Watch it.
TVRD: Okay. What have been some of the highlights of the past year.
Cookie: Well, getting out of prison after 17 years, of course. Then I had to build up a collection of animal print, fur, hair pieces and wigs, which is more time-consuming than you would imagine. I see you don’t have that problem… I had to demand my share of Empire from my shady ex-husband and threaten to tell the SEC about how he got his money. I finally got on the board.
TVRD: What were the biggest challenges?
Cookie: I had to testify against drug lord Frank Gathers for the grand jury. It led to a silly misunderstanding. Someone left a rose at my door and I thought it was a sign from Frank and maybe he was trying to kill me so I had to put a hit out on his man.
TVRD: What?
Cookie: Never mind. Water under the bridge.
TVRD: Rumor has it, you got involved with Lucious again.
Cookie: Yeah, that was good. Until he crossed me again and I almost smothered him with a pillow.
TVRD: What?
Cookie: Never mind. I figured a hostile takeover was a better plan. Especially with him in prison on murder charges.
TVRD: You organized that #FreeLucious rally. It was political.
Cookie: Yes, it was all about mass incarceration and injustice in the justice system. It took a while to find that gorilla suit, too. I think I made my point with dignity.
TVRD: Uh-huh. The takeover never worked out.
Cookie: No, but I started my own label, Lyon Dynasty. It was a headache. There was always some new crisis, like the time my youngest son, Hakeem, got abducted by a gang.
TVRD: How did you deal with that?
Cookie: Called up Lucious and tracked Hakeem down. It was just the two of us and no police intervention. The kidnapping only lasted 11 minutes. Gotta keep it moving, you know.
TVRD: What’s going on in your personal life?
Cookie: I had a couple of relationships. There was one guy, I really wanted him to “Take these Cookies.” It didn’t work out. Laz was a big one. Turned out he was involved with kidnapping Hakeem, so I had to get Lucious to kill him.
TVRD: What?
Cookie: Never mind. It’s always something, especially with family. I had to spend a whole day walking around Philly in my heels to get my sister out of a drug den.
TVRD: What happened there?
Cookie: It’s fine. The last time I saw her she was cleaned up with a fresh weave and working for me. I guess we skipped over rehab or got that handled real quick. That saved time.
TVRD: What’s next?
Cookie: Running A&R at Empire again. Trying to cover up another crime. Lucious had his minions kill Frank Gathers in prison and now Frank’s daughter, Freda Gatz, is working with Empire now so that’s bound to be a pain in my behind. I think that’s the only current murder. I have my suspicions about what happened to that battleaxe, Camilla. It’s hard to believe that the sex tape Hakeem made led to a murder and suicide. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lucious somehow found out that Camilla killed her wife Mimi, held a gun on Camilla and encouraged her to take poison. But that’s my wacky family and she had it coming.
TVRD: What?
Cookie: Never mind.
Check out Cookie’s tips on etiquette and Lyon family business advice.
For my full recap of Cookie’s birthday party and the rest of the what happened in”The Tameness of a Wolf,” you can head on over to The Root.
Empire airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Fox.
