Cancel culture is everywhere now, but 11 years ago, it was a relatively new thing. So, it was shocking when Paula Deen and her Food Network series was canceled after her use of racial epithets. During a court deposition when she was accused of racial and sexual discrimination by a former employee, Paula admitted to using the N-word. Once that admission went viral, despite the case being dismissed, she lost everything.
Food Network wasn’t the only company to cancel its contract with her. She lost her deals with Walmart, Sears, and more. Where is she now after 11 years?
Paula Deen Got Her Shows Back
Paula continued to work, albeit not on the Food Network. It did take some time to find her footing, as News Week reports that she didn’t have anything to fall back on after all her contracts were canceled. She originally had a $17 million fortune, but ended up filing for bankruptcy as she restarted her life and career.
She managed to buy back her Food Network shows, and she put them all on her own Paula Deen Network instead. Then in 2015, she launched her own podcast called What’s Cooking with Paula Deen. That was followed by a radio show and a mobile game.
Not all networks outright canceled her. In 2015, Paula returned to TV by being one of the celebrity dancers on Dancing with the Stars, where she came ninth with Louis Van Amstel. After that, she launched Positively Paula and Sweet Home Savannah with the latter being a live show. The former is now a nationally syndicated show, where she welcomes fans into her home to hear stories as well as learn more cooking tips.
Fox Nation Gave Paula Deen a Home
Paula then moved on to another network, Fox Nation. She landed a series called At Home with Paula Deen and made multiple appearances on Fox and Friends, a Fox News morning show. She was even invited on Masterchef to be a guest judge for an episode.
With this, she was able to keep her magazine going. She’s released multiple cookbooks, including At the Southern Table with Paula Deen and Paula Deen Cuts the Fat: 250 Favorite Recipes All Lightened Up. Her most recent book is Love & Best Dishes, which is her 20th published cookbook.
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She even went into the restaurant business, with locations around numerous southern states. Some locations have since closed, although it’s not clear why. One of her restaurants is a grab-and-go place called The Chicken Box in Savannah, Georgia.
Paula Deen Still Posted Controversial Posts
That hasn’t prevented more controversy. In 2017, Paula shared a photo of herself dressed as Lucy from I Love Lucy. Her son, Bobby, was dressed up as Ricky, using skin-darkening makeup to look the part. This led to an outcry on social media, and Paula quickly blamed her social media manager for the post. Paul quickly apologized for the image being shared.
That hasn’t stopped her from sharing videos on YouTube. She shares a mixture of vintage and new videos on her own channel, giving fans a taste of the South.
