Paula Ann Hiers Deen (born January 19, 1947)[3] is an American chef, cookbook author, and TV personality.

In her 20s, Deen suffered from depression and agoraphobia and began to spend more time preparing food for her family, as it was something she could do without leaving her house.

[9] Following the success of Deen's home–based business she took over the restaurant in the Best Western, Abercorn Street, Savannah in 1991 and called it The Lady.

The restaurant closed in April 2014[13][14] and reopened in June 2017 as Paula Deen's Creek House, until its permanent closure in January 2023.

She launched a lifestyle magazine called Cooking with Paula Deen in November 2005,[24] which claimed a circulation of 7.5 million in March 2009.

In 2015, Paula Deen Ventures signed a distribution agreement with Hachette Client Services for future cookbooks.

The network liked it, and eventually gave Deen her own show, Paula's Home Cooking, which premiered in November 2002.

[34] On June 21, 2013, due to a controversy regarding Deen's admission that she had used racial slurs in a social media post, The Food Network announced they would not renew her contract.

Deen also appears on the home shopping network ShopHQ selling a variety of merchandise including kitchen appliances and food products.

On April 7, 2021, it was announced that Paula Deen is set to join MasterChef as a guest host for the 11th season premiering in June 2021.

[41] In June 2007, Deen won a Daytime Emmy Award (Outstanding Lifestyle Host) for Paula's Home Cooking.

Deen became a paid spokesperson for the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which produces drugs for the disease.

In early August 2013, Judge William Moore threw out the suit's race-discrimination claims, ruling Jackson, who is white, had no standing to sue over what the plaintiff said was poor treatment of black workers; however, Judge Moore let Jackson's claims of sexual discrimination stand.

[53][54][55][56][57] Specifically, she recalled telling her husband about an incident "when a black man burst into the bank that I was working at and put a gun to my head.

"[58] In the time between the filing of the suit and the suit being dismissed, Deen had cookery programs, publishing deals and endorsement contracts cancelled by Food Network,[59] Smithfield Foods,[60] Walmart,[61] Target, QVC,[62] Caesars Entertainment,[12] Novo Nordisk,[63] J.C. Penney,[64] Sears/ Kmart,[65] and her then-publisher Ballantine Books;[66] however, several companies have expressed their intent to continue their endorsement deals with Deen.

[68] Former US President Jimmy Carter urged that Deen be forgiven, stating, "I think she has been punished, perhaps overly severely, for her honesty in admitting it and for the use of the word in the distant past.

"[69] In July 2015, Deen faced controversy over a Halloween picture from 2011 in which Paula was dressed as Lucy Ricardo played by Lucille Ball while her son Bobby was dressed as Lucy's Cuban husband Ricky Ricardo, played by Desi Arnaz, in blackface makeup, along with Gordon Elliott who was not in costume.