Entertainment
Where Is Paula Deen Now? Inside the Celebrity Chef’s Life After Food Network
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NEED TO KNOW
- It has been over a decade since Paula Deen’s Food Network show came to an end in 2013
- The “Queen of Southern Cuisine” has released more cookbooks and recipes since then
- In July 2025, Deen announced the abrupt closure of two of her restaurants, including her flagship eatery, The Lady & Sons
Paula Deen‘s career has had moments of success and controversy.
For more than a decade in the early 2000s, the Georgia native was a staple on television, starring in her own cooking shows, releasing cookbooks and establishing restaurants. But in June 2013, Food Network dropped Dean after she admitted to using a racial slur in the workplace in a sworn deposition, according to The New York Times.
Since then, Deen has largely stayed out of the spotlight. More recently, though, Deen made headlines again when she announced the abrupt closure of two of her restaurants on Aug. 1.
“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 statement posted on her Facebook and official website. “Thank you for all the great memories and for your loyalty over the past 36 years.”
That same month, on Aug. 20, Deen gave Fox & Friends’ Steve Doocy a tour of her home in Savannah, Ga.
So what happened to Paula Deen? Here’s everything to know about her culinary career and what she’s doing today, years after parting ways with Food Network.
She started her professional culinary career in 1989
Paula Deen/Facebook
In June 1989, Deen started a catering company from her kitchen. She opened The Bag Lady catering company with her “last $200,” according to a June 2025 Facebook post. Deen helped get her business off the ground with the help of her sons, Jamie and Bobby, who would deliver her homemade Southern food to workers in Savannah.
Two years later, in 1991, she opened a buffet restaurant, The Lady, in the lobby of a Best Western Hotel, the Chicago Tribune reported. Deen dedicated herself to the location — alongside her kids and her husband, Michael — until her next venture put her on the map.
In January 1996, the chef launched The Lady & Sons in downtown Savannah, eventually becoming a popular establishment and leading to TV superstardom.
She landed her first show on the Food Network in 2002
Peter Kramer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Deen released her first cookbook, The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook, in April 1998.
According to her official website, Deen then made her television debut on QVC, and in 2002, she starred in her own Food Network show, Paula’s Home Cooking. The cooking TV program ran for 10 years, ending in 2012.
In addition to Paula’s Home Cooking, she starred in Paula’s Party and Paula’s Best Dishes, both of which aired on the Food Network.
She left TV in 2013 after admitting to using racist language in the past
Peter Kramer/NBC/NBC Newswire/NBCUniversal via Getty
Paula’s Home Cooking was a staple on the Food Network for a decade, but the channel cut ties with her amid controversy.
In 2012, Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, were sued by former employee Lisa Jackson for $1.2 million, per CBS News. Lisa previously worked at Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House, an establishment co-owned by Deen and run by Hiers. According to the ex-employee, during her five years as a manager, she experienced sexual harassment and racial discrimination.
The following year, in May 2013, Deen admitted during a deposition that she used a racial slur on a few occasions in the past, CBS News reported. Shortly after, the Food Network announced that it wouldn’t renew the celebrity chef’s contract, which was set to expire at the end of June. In addition, retailers like Walmart and Target stated they would no longer sell Deen’s products and a book deal was scrapped.
As the fallout continued, Deen was scheduled to do a sit-down interview on the Today show, but was a no-show, per CBS News. Instead, she released two apology videos online.
“I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I’ve done,” she said in one of the clips, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I want to learn and grow from this. … Inappropriate hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way. But I beg you, my children, my team, my fans, my partners, I beg for your forgiveness. Please forgive me for the mistakes that I’ve made.”
Following the Food Network’s decision not to renew her contract, Deen released a statement to PEOPLE.
“I have had the pleasure of being allowed into so many homes across the country and meeting people who have shared with me the most touching and personal stories,” it read. “This would not have been possible without the Food Network. Thank you again. Love and best dishes to all of ya’ll.”
In August 2013, a settlement was reached, though its details weren’t made public, according to ABC News.
She went on to compete on Dancing with the Stars in 2015
Adam Taylor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
While Deen’s tenure on the Food Network was over, her time on television was not.
In June 2014, she embarked on a live tour called Paula Deen Live!, which consisted of 20 shows across the U.S., per the Las Vegas Sun News. Each stop was set to feature a 90-minute session with the celebrity chef who advertised cooking demos, interactive audience games and personal stories.
The following year, Deen competed on season 21 of Dancing with the Stars, which premiered in September 2015.
“Let me tell you—I’m excited and nervous,” she wrote on her website, about appearing on the competition series. “There’s just a whole array of emotions that could overwhelm a person. After all, I’m 68 and startin’ on this physically demanding show.”
In October 2015, Deen was eliminated during the sixth week of the season, but she stayed busy. Earlier that same year, she launched a mobile game and a line of dog food. Deen later released several other products as part of an online shop, including seasonings and jewelry.
She is still releasing cookbooks and sharing recipes online
Tara Ziemba/Getty
In the years since she said goodbye to her Food Network audience, Deen has continued to release cookbooks, her most recent being 2023’s Love and Best Dishes. Her magazine, Cooking with Paula Deen, is still being published today as well; its first issue hit newsstands in 2005.
As for television, Deen debuted her show, Positively Paula, in 2016. It aired for two seasons and a total of 26 episodes. In June 2020, she launched her YouTube channel, where she posts new videos daily to nearly 600,000 subscribers.
She announced the closure of two restaurants in August 2025
James Quine/Alamy Stock Photo; Mediapunch/Shutterstock
On Aug. 1, Deen announced the abrupt closing of two of her eateries, The Lady & Sons and The Chicken Box.
“We have endless love and gratitude for every customer who has walked through our doors,” she wrote in a statement posted online. “We are equally grateful to our incredible staff — past and present — whose hard work, care, and hospitality made The Lady & Sons what it was. Savannah will always be our home, and we’ll always be here to support our wonderful community.”
The letter ended with Deen and her sons saying they “will now focus” their attention on the four remaining locations of Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen: Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Nashville, Tenn. and Branson, Mo.
“We’re excited to continue visiting these restaurants regularly, starting with Branson on August 8th,” the statement concluded. A reason for the closing of The Chicken Box and The Lady & Sons was not given.
Deen will appear in the documentary Canceled: The Paula Deen Story, which will revisit the fallout of her career in 2013. The project will premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 6.
Entertainment
Ariana Grande goes Instagram-official with on-again boyfriend Ricky Alvarez after announcing break from the spotlight

Ariana Grande officially hard-launched her on-again boyfriend, Ricky Alvarez, on Instagram.
The “Petals” songstress took to the platform Wednesday to share several loved-up photos with the dancer, including a cozy mirror snap that showed his arm wrapped around her shoulder.
While Grande only showed herself and Alvarez from the neck down, she didn’t shy away from tagging him.
A second blurry snap showed the couple hugging, as the Grammy winner, 33, appeared to be wearing purple fairy wings.
Grande included several selfies and photos of her dogs in the sweet photo dump, which she simply captioned, “🌱 ! ♡.”
As for Alvarez, 35, he reshared a photo of the pop star sporting a “Petal” T-shirt via his Instagram Stories Wednesday.
He also reposted Grande’s second photo of them hugging.
Last month, Page Six exclusively confirmed that Grande and Alvarez, who dated from 2015 to 2016, had rekindled their romance following her breakup with Ethan Slater after three years together.
“But she isn’t rushing back into the relationship,” an insider told us. “She has a lot on her plate at the moment and is still incredibly busy with her tour schedule, so they’re taking things one step at a time.”
The source explained that Alvarez “has remained close with Ariana’s family over the years, and that’s something she really appreciates.”
“He has also made an effort to show up and support her while she’s on tour, which hasn’t gone unnoticed,” the insider continued.
The “7 Rings” singer embarked on the “Eternal Sunshine” tour in June, and Alvarez was notably in attendance at several shows.
Insiders told Page Six that Grande has been leaning on her beau, who has been “super supportive” of her, as she prepares to take a step back from the limelight when she wraps up her tour in September.
According to her rep, she will take a “much-deserved break” after enduring “endless, ongoing public scrutiny.”
Another source told Page Six that the “Yes, And?” singer also plans on spending her time off with Alvarez, along with her family and friends.
Grande and Alvarez met in 2014 when the latter became her backup dancer. Alvarez later joined Grande on the 2015 Honeymoon Tour.
Entertainment
‘Roseanne’ star defends sitcom’ axing over comedian’s tweets

Former child star Michael Fishman became emotional while laying out his thoughts on the “Roseanne” reboot’s cancellation back in 2018.
Fishman — who played the title character’s son, DJ Conner, on the beloved sitcom — shared a social media comment regarding the years-old controversy, which saw Roseanne Barr fired from her own revival series after a string of controversial tweets.
“The reboot got canceled because Roseanne made the usual jokes a comedian makes but America decided to backstab Roseanne,” the comment read atop an Instagram reel shared Monday.
“At the time the LGBTQ and woke crap took over and started destroying anything it could. Roseanne was one of the people that all of a sudden got flack for remaining to be a edgy comedian,” it continued. “Funny thing is even if she was racist, she had already said more egregious jokes and nobody batted an eye before.”
Fishman responded directly to the comment on camera, saying, “I get this every day. I get these kinds of ignorant and inaccurate comments daily,” he began, appearing to be exhausted by the sentiment.
“Mostly, I try to ignore them. For over eight years, I’ve been dealing with it quietly,” he continued. “Usually, I don’t respond.”
The actor, now 44, went on, noting, “After eight years, turning the other cheek really isn’t helping.”
“So, I guess the world failed to learn the lesson. So I’m going to point out. We are perpetuating a lie, and people are using a political smokescreen to justify the indefensible,” he said, referencing how Barr called her own actions “indefensible” in an apology at the time.
Back in 2018, Barr was brought to task in the court of public opinion for publicly sharing a polarizing tweet comparing former President Barack Obama’s advisor, Valerie Jarrett, to an “ape.”
The comedian, now 73, defended herself at the time by claiming she’d been on a sleep aid called Ambien and didn’t know that she thought Jarrett was white. She also later blamed God. Ultimately, the show’s reboot was axed by ABC before a second season could materialize.
It was quickly retooled as “The Conners” — without Barr — and that sitcom lasted seven seasons, ending in 2025.
Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
“Those justifications, they’re leading to real consequences. Real crimes,” Fishman said, referencing current-day tragedies involving the deaths of black Americans like Tasia Fortune, Trey Reed and Nolan Wells.
“Dehumanizing people is never a joke,” he noted. “See, when we’re onstage as comedians, or on camera, we have the freedom to say whatever we want. But that doesn’t mean there’s no responsibility and no consequences.”
“The brilliant comedians help us laugh at the darkest, darkest topics,” he went on. “Sadly, in this case, there was no joke. And the show was rightfully canceled. It’s the last time I’m really gonna go into this.”
Fishman allowed in his commentary that “good people make mistakes,” and confessed that he “love[s] the one who made this mistake” and “always will.”
“I’ll always have compassion and love [for Barr], and I’ve shown it continuously and she helped the world understand that good people can make mistakes,” he said.
“But there was no joke. There was only damage and dehumanizing — and perpetuating racial tropes leads to real-world consequences,” he added in part.
“And the only people who are backstabbed were the people who were targeted by the statements. And those who became collateral damage from it,” he said.
Fishman then addressed those who had defended racist comments online or shared their own.
“Be smart enough to just shut the hell up,” the actor concluded the upload. “Don’t finish the statement, don’t hit send and certainly don’t rage against anybody else. Because words have real-world consequences, and some of us deal with them every day. That’s freedom of speech.”
Fishman captioned the reel, “Humanity crumbles when justify dehumanization and stay silent to suffering, inequality, exclusion, and oppression. We can do better. I was shaped by the show I grew up on. Now I am building bigger. Words have consequences.”
A rep for Barr did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment on Tuesday evening.
Back in 2018, Barr addressed the controversial tweets multiple times, apologizing and insisting that it was politically, and not racially, motivated.
The social media rant was “about asking for accountability from the previous administration about the Iran deal, which Valerie Jarrett is the author of, and that was what was in my head,” Barr said in a 2018 interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity.
She added that her initial reaction to the public outcry “was shock that they were saying it was racial, when it’s political.”
In a separate 2018 podcast interview with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Barr said, “I have to face that it hurt people.”
“When you hurt people even unwillingly there’s no excuse. I don’t want to run off and blather on with excuses,” she added. “But I apologize to anyone who thought, or felt offended and who thought that I meant something that I, in fact, did not mean. It was my own ignorance, and there’s no excuse for that ignorance.”
Entertainment
Lizzo models teeny purple string bikini to ring in ‘Fat Liberation Month’

Lizzo has a message for her “ladies over 200.”
The “About Damn Time” singer celebrated “Fat Liberation Month” on Instagram Sunday, posing poolside in a sparkly purple two-piece from her Yitty Swim line.
Lizzo, 38, wore the brand’s Swim Luxe Triangle Bikini Top ($44.95) and matching side-tie thong bottoms ($39.95), finishing the look with oversized Gucci shield sunglasses.
She tipped her face toward the sun in one shot, her copper curls loose down her back. A cheeky Story upload captured her glancing over her shoulder to show off the thong bottoms.
“Happy Fat Liberation Month 💕 calling all my ladies over 200 go outside n POP sumthin🙏🏾,” she captioned the post.
Followers piled into the comments to co-sign the message. “Lizzo said confidence all month long! Love the energy. 🙌✨” wrote one, while another added, “Curvalicious!!! Get it Lizzo!”
The Grammy winner launched Yitty as a size-inclusive shapewear label in 2022, later expanding into swim.
She wore one of her own Yitty designs on the July Sports Illustrated Swimsuit digital cover — a moment she said she’d been manifesting for years.
“When I was younger, I saw it and never imagined somebody with my body type would be on the cover,” she told the publication. “It’s just incredible to see how we’ve redefined sexy, redefined confidence and redefined what a swimsuit body is since I was a kid.”
The singer — whose fifth studio album, “Bitch,” dropped in May — has been open about her fluctuating weight over the past few years, which included dropping 60 pounds after starting her wellness journey in fall 2023.
She also put 20 pounds back on this year — a decision she said was fully intentional.
“I wanted to get thicker. I wanted to get juicier and thicker, and I did,” she told SI.
In an August 2025 interview with Women’s Health, she made clear her message wasn’t tied to the number on her scale.
“Body positivity has nothing to do with staying the same,” she told the outlet. “Body positivity is the radical act of daring to exist loudly and proudly in a society that told you you shouldn’t exist.”
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