For many years, Paula Deen was one of Food Network’s most beloved stars.
Whether she was whipping up Southern fried chicken, casseroles or other comfort foods, the chef would remind her fans that “butter makes it better” and “if it ain’t fried, it ain’t worth eating.”
At one point in her career, Deen was everywhere with various Food Network shows and products available at QVC, Walmart, Target, JCPenney and other major retail stores.
But in 2013, everything changed when Deen admitted to using racial slurs during a videotaped deposition. (At the time, she was accused by an ex-employee of racial discrimination. Both parties eventually agreed to drop the case “without any award of costs or fees to any party.”)
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For nearly two years, Deen stayed out of the limelight as she figured out what was next in her professional life.
In September 2014, she appeared on the Today show with her sons, Bobby and Jamie Deen, to reflect on her past.
“I had to remove myself and sit quietly so that I could think and see things from all angles,” she told Matt Lauer at the time. “Words are so powerful. They can hurt, they can make people happy — well, my words hurt people. They disappointed people. Frankly, I disappointed myself. For that, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for the hurt that I caused people because it went deep. It went deep. People lost their jobs, it went deep into corporate America. I’m here to make people happy, not to bring sadness.”
While Paula’s career may look different than it was in the early 2000s, she has slowly but surely returned to doing what she loves – cooking.
Her YouTube page has more than 518,000 subscribers and allows fans to learn tasty recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.
In July 2025, Paula and her family shared recipes on everything from ice cream French toast to chicken divan.
She remains close with her two sons and celebrated them in a Mother’s Day post. “These two made me a mama, and it’s the greatest gift I’ve ever been given,” she wrote via Instagram in May 2025.
As for her relationship with husband Michael Groover, Paula recently celebrated more than two decades of marriage with a man who stood by her side through ups and downs.
“Happy 21st anniversary to the man that always puts a smile on my face!” she wrote via Instagram in March 2025. “I always thought our wedding would be the happiest day of my life, but each day with you gets better and better.”
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Loyal fans of Paula can still experience her cooking at various restaurants across the country, including her landmark restaurant, The Lady and Sons, in Savannah, Georgia.
Through the highs and lows of being a public figure, Paula recently celebrated the beginning of her career in the food space. In a social media post, the chef remembered The Bag Lady, her original home-based catering business that marked the beginning of her professional cooking career.
“Thirty-six years, I embarked on a journey that would change my life — I started The Bag Lady with my last $200,” Paula wrote via Instagram in June 2025. “Isn’t it incredible how far we can go when our backs are against the wall?”
