Key Insights
- Paula Deen’s popularity: She was a beloved figure on Food Network known for her comforting Southern cuisine.
- Controversial admission: In 2013, Deen faced backlash after admitting to using a racial slur in a deposition.
- Consequences: Following the scandal, Food Network severed ties, and major retailers dropped her products.
- Documentary release: A new documentary titled Canceled: The Paula Deen Story explores her career ups and downs, premiering on Sept. 6.
Paula Deen was once the toast of Food Network, the Georgia grandmother’s butter-drenched home cooking and salty-sweet disposition a winning combination.
Until, that is, her own words came back to bite her.
Following the June 2013 release of a deposition in which Deen admitted to past use of a racial slur, she became persona non grata over the course of a week.
Deen made two emotional apology videos, but Food Network cut ties. Stores, including Walmart and Target, dropped her merchandise. Her publisher canceled the release of her latest book.
And, needless to say, Twitter (now X) feasted on the controversy.
But while some people never had a taste for what she was serving even before the scandal, and others simply lost their appetite, plenty of fans remained hungry for more and rallied to her defense.
Canceled: The Paula Deen Story, a new documentary premiering Sept. 6 at the Toronto International Film Festival, delves into Deen’s rise to fame, rapid downfall and eventual comeback, albeit with a smaller slice of the influence pie.
