Actress Taraji P. Henson, who played Cookie Lyon in Fox’s Empire, said Hollywood “lied to me my entire career” by telling her “black doesn’t translate overseas,” during which time she was “graceful in getting paid less.”
“I’m 30 years in the game, guys, and this is the first time I’m at the Cannes Film Festival,” Henson said in a video shared by Variety, adding, “I should have been here years ago, but here I am. Everything happens for a reason.”
The Hidden Figures actress explained, “When I did the international press for Empire, I remember — up until then, I was told, ‘Black doesn’t translate overseas.’ I’m like, ‘Really? I see Asian people wearing afros, but okay.'”
“So, we went to Paris, and [Empire creator] Lee Daniels kept me a secret to the audience,” Henson continued. “They did a Q&A, they started asking the Cookie questions — and he said, ‘I don’t know, why don’t you ask her?'”
“And before he could finish saying my name — we’re talking 1,500 seats, standing room only — the entire room erupted in applause, like, screaming. And I was like, ‘For me?'” the Hustle & Flow actress added.
Watch Below:
Taraji P. Henson calls out a Hollywood lie: "When I did the international press for 'Empire,' up until then I was told Black doesn't translate overseas. Really?... You lied to me my entire career."https://t.co/Tt7I9wYcnH @KeringGroup pic.twitter.com/JuO3tWF0bp
— Variety (@Variety) May 20, 2025
Henson went on to recall, “I got up on the stage, and I just started ugly-face crying, because the myth was busted, like, you lied to me my entire career.”
The actress added that when she left the venue, she found that she had “actual fans outside” who were pleaded with her for autographs, shouting, “Taraji! Taraji! Can you sign here, please?”
“And I’m like, they know my name. They’re not calling me Cookie. They know my name,” Henson said, adding, “So that, for me, changed the game — I came back to Hollywood, like, ‘Huh, things are gonna change around here.”
During the festival, Henson also said that, for years, she had been “graceful in getting paid less than,” according to a report Varity.
“Not anymore though!” the actress exclaimed, likely in reference to her recent revelations that — despite what Hollywood told her — black does, in fact, translate overseas.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
