Mo'Nique Is Showing the Receipts on Her Offer to Play Cookie on 'Empire'

When Mo'Nique said she had been originally offered the role of Cookie Lyon on Empire by co-creator Lee Daniels, the role of course played by Taraji P. Henson, most people had one reaction:

Well, she's showing them. Mo'Nique appeared on Sway in the Morning, and spurred by co-creator Danny Strong's insistence that she'd never been offered the role, she brought along emails indicating that she indeed was.

Here are two of the emails she brought as proof, from a woman named Jill (Daniels' assistant?):

Feb. 18, 2014

Good Afternoon,

Lee Daniels had a conversation with Mo’Nique about his new television pilot for Imagine Tv/Fox called “Empire.” We would like to screen test her for the role of ‘Cookie.’ Please contact us with her television quotes, so that we can start a test, option, deal. We are tentatively looking at Monday, Feb 24 for the screen test.

Feb. 18, 2014

Hello I am following up on my previous e-mail regarding Lee Daniels’ pilot and Mo’Nique’s television quotes. This is a time sensitive matter. Lee really does not want Mo’Nique to miss this opportunity.

Alas, it turned out only Daniels was on Team Mo'Nique while the network was vehemently opposed, so the proposed deal fell through. And that's the way the Cookie crumbles.