Not too long ago, Paula Deen was a relatively harmless matron of Southern cooking.
But in 2013, everything changed.
Accused of racism, her name became a running joke in the industry, and even her biggest
fans were so horrified that they walked away.
Though it appeared that she had finally hung up her apron in shame, Deen was instead working
behind the scenes to bring her career back from the brink.
Just what's gone down for the chef since her fall from grace?
Here's what really happened to Paula Deen.
Fall from grace
In 2013, a discrimination lawsuit was brought against the chef by her former employee Lisa
T. Jackson, who claimed that Deen had used the "N word" at work and that Deen's brother
had harassed her, as reported by the Savannah Morning News.
Deen went on to make things even worse by trying to excuse her poor behavior.
In a half-baked, since-deleted apology according to Eater, Deen said,
"I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I've done.
I want to learn and grow from this.
[…] Inappropriate and hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable."
"I have never with any intention, hurt anybody on purpose, and I never would."
But even though a judge threw out her case, the damage was more than done.
"A dramatic turn of events, a legal victory for Paula Deen, but in the court of public
opinion, the decision may have come two months too late"
Food Network dropped Deen, and Ballantine Books cancelled her deal.
Other companies, including Walgreens and Target, announced that they would not be restocking
her products once existing inventory had been sold.
But five long years later, Deen seems ready to step foot onto the world stage, once again.
And she's been busy behind the scenes, making it happen.
Successful party host
Deen has obviously found ways to make money, even without Food Network.
But in a move that we could never imagine anyone else doing, Deen is making fistfuls
of easy money hosting Halloween parties.
"Grab your favorite pumpkin and let's party"
The events, which host 50 people at $400 each, are even at her home.
According to Eventbrite,
"Paula will spend the afternoon mingling with guests, sharing spooky recipes, hosting festive
contests, and wrapping up the afternoon with a Halloween party.
[…] Along with the memories, all guests will go home with a gift."
Unloading her mansion
"Hello, ya'll welcome to my home.
I live in Savannah Georgia and my house is located on Wilmington Island."
We may never know the real reason she put her property up for sale, but as of August
2018 it hasn't made her a dime.
"And there's a dockhouse...that sits over the water.
And there's even a hole in the kitchen floor so Michael and I can sit in the kitchen, and
fish"
The massive eight bedroom, eight-and-a-half bathroom, 28,000-square-foot estate has been
on the market since 2015 when it was listed for $12.5 million.
Two years later, the home had still not sold, even though the price was reduced to $8.75
million.
Back in business
After being removed from the air, Deen turned her attention to her restaurants.
In 2014, she started a new firm, Paula Deen Ventures, and shortly after that she announced
a new restaurant and store called Paula Deen's Family Kitchen.
"Come and get it honey, the best fried green tomato in this here United States"
Scandal or not, Deen was determined to prove that her cooking skills were still deserving
of respect.
She said in a press release:
"Paula Deen's Family Kitchen is filled with love and mouthwatering flavors.
I can hardly wait to bring some of my favorite Southern dishes […] to the Great Smoky Mountains.
We are going to serve our meals family style, with big ol' bowls on the table, heaping full
of fried chicken, collards fried okra, corn and sweet potatoes."
She's Dancing With the Stars
In 2015, Deen returned to TV as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars.
While she didn't prove to be quite as smooth on the dance floor as she is in the kitchen,
her good-natured attitude on the show helped to once again endear her to the public.
"I want you to pick me up one time, and turn me upside down like you do those other girls"
She took some daring risks on the show, wearing provocative outfits and even flashing her
underwear in the middle of the jive.
Unfortunately, Deen's edgy moves didn't go over well with the judges and she was eliminated
in the sixth week.
The chef met her loss with grace and claimed that she was happy to head home, saying on
the show,
"I have been like a fish out of water for six weeks.
It has been such a wonderful journey.
It took them a long time to convince me to do this.
It was wonderful.
It was worth it."
Her signature clothing line
The news of Deen's scandal prompted many of her partners to drop their endorsement deals,
but that didn't stop the once beloved southern cook from finding new companies to partner
with.
In 2016, Deen launched a clothing line with Evine, which was something she said she'd
been wanting to do for years.
"I love things that are fun, that are comfortable, that are casual, but I can put on my pearls
and I can dress it up"
She told People,
"It was a little hard for me to break out of the kitchen because that's how people think
of me.
But if you notice, I never cooked naked.
I was always wearing clothes!"
Speaking of being fully clothed, Deen had some very specific requirements for her line,
revealing,
"I don't know how to say this to you in a nice way, but it has to cover my front privates.
I want my shirttail to cover my front privates and hopefully my back, too."
"It's gonna be fun and it's gonna be comfortable and it's gonna be affordable."
She also launched a line of home storage and organization products because who doesn't
want official Paula Deen hangers for those shirts that cover your, uh, "front privates"?
"You know I always say 'best dishes and love' well now I'm saying best clothes and love."
Getting into the game
In 2015, Deen published Paula Deen Cuts the Fat, which featured healthier recipes than
those featured in her previous cookbooks.
"You can still keep the flavor and eat healthy.
Definitely.
I think I've done that with this book"
That same year, her very first cookbook, The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, was
also revised, and re-released.
"Are you ready to have some fun?"
Deen also launched a mobile game in 2015 where players got to become the chef herself, learning
recipes and moving up in the (virtual) restaurant industry.
She said in a press release,
"I am a gamer at heart and never leave my home without my iPad.
Paula Deen's Recipe Quest is an incredible and one-of-a-kind game that will allow y'all
to cook up a storm with me while solving exciting puzzles.
Plus, it's free!"
"And it's free!"
Focusing on her furry friends
"Would you like beef, chicken, or lamb and rice for dinner?
No, I'm not talkin about your dinner, I'm talkin about your pet's dinner"
Given the success that fellow celebrity chef Rachael Ray has seen with her pet food brand,
it's no wonder that Deen decided to follow suit with a line of her own pet food, treats,
and toys in 2015.
According to PetFoodIndustry.com, she said,
"I want to share my love for animals with my fans and fellow pet lovers by creating
special products and treats for their pets to enjoy."
But there's another reason this project is close to her heart.
Announcing the product launch on her website, she wrote,
"Y'all know how much I love all my babies, whether furry or feathered.
Some of y'all might even know that if it wasn't for my pets, I would never have met my husband
Michael."
The couple credits Paula's dogs more specifically, Paula's dogs pooping on Michael's lawn for
their meeting.
In his book, My Delicious Life with Paula Deen, Michael writes that if Deen's pups hadn't
gotten out and found their way to his yard, the couple may never have gotten together.
Trouble in dog poop paradise?
Rumors have swirled for years that Paula Deen and Michael Groover were headed for divorce,
thanks in large part to tabloid reports of Groover's alleged affair in 2013.
The fire was further fueled just a few years later when Deen granted the deed to one of
their homes solely to Groover.
At the time, a spokesman for Deen said,
"These rumors are completely false they have a wonderful marriage.
This deed […] was just a part of Paula's estate-planning process."
"I'm back with ya on What's Cookin with Paula Deen...and you see what's cookin with Paula
Deen, don't ya.
Hey ya'll."
So what does Deen have to say?
She spoke to Radar Online during her stint on Dancing with the Stars, and had nothing
but good things to say about Groover, confessing,
"My marriage has always been good.
My husband is so supportive.
[…] He has been so good about taking time off for me.
[…] He has always been so supportive to take his things and put them aside to be with
me."
"I'm still laughin at his stupid jokes that he has told me a thousand times, I still think
they're funny.
Well they are"
Paula Deen's Lumberjack Feud
In 2018, the chef opened Paula Deen's Lumberjack Feud in Tennessee.
The live competitive event features two teams of professional lumberjacks who go head-to-head
in log rolling, ax throwing, and more.
But Deen isn't the first celeb to have her name attached to Lumberjack Feud.
According to VisitMySmokies.com, it originally debuted in 2011, and in 2015, country singer
Dolly Parton took over before passing the torch over to Deen.
Fans will soon be able to compete in lumberjack events themselves through Lumberjack Feud
Adventure, a on-site park featuring a lumberjack-themed obstacle course.
Returning to the small screen
Deen seems to have mostly put the past behind her, and the public is slowly forgiving her.
"Guess who's gone digital, ya'll"
In 2014, she launched her subscriber-based digital platform, The Paula Deen Network,
which featured network-exclusive videos of Deen and her guests cooking in front of an
audience.
And in 2016, she began filming her newest television show, Positively Paula.
She said via Delish,
"I am so excited to invite my friends from around the country into my home kitchen each
week.
We are going to have an incredible time cooking up a storm and sharing the most special memories."
It wasn't too long before the show gained a following and reached a broader audience.
Early in 2018, the show entered syndication and began airing on "rural lifestyle" network
RFD-TV, marking Deen's return to cable programming and…just maybe…the start of her journey
back into America's hearts.
"Let's get cookin"