Fired Food Network Star Paula Deen Speaks Out About Racial Slur Scandal in Explosive New Documentary More Than a Decade After Her Multimillion-Dollar Empire Was Destroyed
Paula Deen has shared her side of the story about her racism scandal.
Sept. 5 2025, Published 2:45 p.m. ET
Disgraced former Food Network star Paula Deen is still struggling to make a comeback more than a decade after allegations of racism, RadarOnline.com can report.
The celebrity chef, who once oversaw a multimillion-dollar empire, is sharing her story in a new documentary.
The former celebrity chef lost her empire after allegedly using the 'N-word.'
Canceled: The Paula Deen Story premieres Saturday, September 6, at the Toronto International Film Festival. The documentary "traces the history" of the celebrity chef and "reconsiders the scandal that exploded her multi-million dollar empire," according to its description.
The one-time star has dealt with personal and professional woes for more than a decade now, previously stirring up controversy when it was claimed in 2013 that she used the N-word and wanted to throw her brother a "plantation-style" wedding with Black servers.
In the years since, several of her southern-style restaurants have closed their doors, and she has been shunned by her former network.
The 78-year-old admits in the documentary she is worried her slip-up will be her lasting legacy.
"When they lay me down, I do not want on my tombstone, 'Here lies the body of a racist,'" she confessed.
Allegations of Racism
She is the subject of a new documentary.
Deen and her brother, Bubba Heirs, were sued in 2012 by a former employee named Lisa Jackson on allegations of using the "N word" and of sexual harassment, infliction of emotional distress, and assault.
In one example, Jackson stated that she was appointed by Deen to handle the catering and staff for Bubba's wedding in 2007, and asked her what the servers should wear.
Deen allegedly replied: "Well, what I would really like is a bunch of little n-----s to wear long-sleeve white shirts, black shorts and black bow ties, you know, in the Shirley Temple days, they used to tap dance around."
The chef reportedly continued: "Now, that would be a true Southern wedding, wouldn't it? But we can't do that because the media would be on me about that."
Fighting the Claims
Many of her restaurants have gone out of business.
Deen addressed the allegations that she used the racially-charged term during her deposition, explaining: "That's not what these men were. They were professional Black men doing a fabulous job."
The racial discrimination claims in the filing were ultimately dismissed, while the claims of sexual harassment in the workplace were settled out of court.
But the damage was done. Deen lost a TV show, a book deal, and several lucrative endorsements amid the controversy, and her once-thriving business empire has been in a free fall ever since.
Last month, her decades-old Savannah, Georgia, flagship restaurant, The Lady & Sons, closed its doors for good, joining the growing list of Deen's eateries that have shuttered in the past several years.
Closed for Business
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Deen is still struggling to revive her career.
Dean revealed on both Facebook and her official website that The Lady & Sons and another nearby restaurant, The Chicken Box, had flown the coop.
"Hey, y’all, my sons and I made the heartfelt decision that Thursday, July 31st, was the last day of service for The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box," she wrote in a message signed by herself and her adult sons Jamie and Bobby.
"Thank you for all the great memories and for your loyalty over the past 36 years. We have endless love and gratitude for every customer who has walked through our doors.
"We are equally grateful to our incredible staff, past and present, whose hard work, care, and hospitality made The Lady & Sons what it was."
Deen pledged her continued dedication to her hometown, while also promoting her remaining restaurants scattered across the U.S.
"Savannah will always be our home, and we’ll always be here to support our wonderful community," she wrote. "We will now focus our attention on the four Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen locations across the country, in Pigeon Forge, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, and Branson."
