Disgraced chef Paula Deen, 78, took time to reflect on her career by sharing a personal message with her social media followers. Georgia-born cooking personality
The Georgia-born cooking personality uploaded a throwback picture of herself to Instagram that has fans doing a double take at her hair. She can be seen posing in front of her restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, nearly four decades ago.
“36 years, I embarked on a journey that would change my life — I started The Bag Lady with my last $200. Isn’t it incredible how far we can go when our backs are against the wall?” Deen captioned her image.
Paula launched The Bag Lady as a side business in 1989. She went on to open The Lady restaurant in 1996 before reopening the spot as The Lady & Sons.
Deen’s old snapshot of her first lunch business and pre-fame look garnered reactions online including about the Daytime Emmy Award winner’s hair color.
“NO way Paula was a ginger!! Love it!” the excited commenter exclaimed in response to the now-white haired cookbook author’s original red hair.
Other fans expressed shock at the photo of Deen from the 1980s, writing, “Does not look like you!!! You have iconic platinum hair.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that was you!” a second stunned person posted on the app. One individual had a similar response, commenting, “I didn’t recognize you, wow.”
In 2009, doctors diagnosed Deen with Type 2 diabetes. That serious medical condition led the mother of two to change her lifestyle to lose weight. She wrote about the transformation on her official website.
“Over the years, I’ve rearranged my plate, makin’ more room for the foods that are good for me. I started to learn about how to improve my diet by watching my starches and cutting way back on sugar and fats,” Deen revealed.
Additionally, many Instagram users praised Deen’s Southern cuisine. One stated, “God bless you and keep going. I love your videos and, of course, your recipes.”
The Georgia-born cook became a popular personality on Food Network with the premiere of the “Paula’s Home Cooking” television show in 2002. The program ran for ten years until 2012 and won Deen a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Host in 2007. She also hosted series such as “Paula’s Party” and “Paula’s Best Dishes” on the same network.
In 2013, the Food Network decided not to renew Deen’s contract after a former employee’s lawsuit exposed that the so-called Southern belle had a troubled history on race.
Lisa Jackson sued Deen and her now-late brother, Earl “Bubba” Wayne Hiers, in 2013 for racial discrimination. During a court deposition, the once celebrated cook admitted to using the N-word.
The N-word controversy not only got Deen dropped from The Food Network but also led major retailers like Walmart and Target to cut ties with her.
A federal judge dismissed the discrimination case because both Jackson and Deen are white women. The opposing sides of the litigation eventually agreed to drop the discrimination suit though details of that alleged settlement remain private.
Deen offered a public apology in a video posted to the internet. She vowed to “learn and grow” from the situation and called her “inappropriate, hurtful language” 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,” she pleaded.
Despite the racial slur scandal, the now 78-year-old was able to make a comeback not long after being canceled. She launched the Paula Deen subscription‑based streaming platform in 2014.
Season 21 of the “Dancing with the Stars” competition television series featured Deen as a contestant in 2015, where she was eliminated fourth. The “Southern Cooking Bible” writer returned as a lifestyle host in 2016 with the “Positively Paula” and “Sweet Home Savannah” shows. She currently shares recipes and touching moments with her family on her Instagram page.
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