Paula Deen weight loss, restaurant, recipes, cookware

<< Back

Edit Mode: Paula Deen

Email *

If we need to contact you, we will contact you on this email.

Full Name *

Your name please so that we can credit your work.

Main Text *

<p>  
</p>  
<h2>Early Life and Family Background</h2>  
<p>  
<a href="/biography/paula-deen">Paula Ann Hiers Deen</a> was born on January 19, 1947, in Albany, Georgia, to Corrie A. Hiers and Earl Wayne Hiers Sr. Following the death of both her parents by the time she was 23, Deen turned to cooking as a way to provide for her family and cope with personal hardship.  
</p>  
<p>  
She married Jimmy Deen in 1965, and the couple had two sons, Jamie and <a href="/biography/bobby-deen">Bobby</a>. They divorced in 1989. Following the separation, Deen was left with limited financial resources—reportedly only $200—and was responsible for supporting her two children as well as her younger brother. During this period, she worked various jobs including hanging wallpaper, working as a bank teller, and selling insurance and real estate.  
</p>  
<h2>The Bag Lady and Culinary Beginnings</h2>  
<p>  
In an effort to support her family, Deen started a home-based catering service in Savannah, Georgia, called The Bag Lady. She prepared fresh sandwiches and homemade meals in her kitchen, which her sons delivered locally. The business quickly gained popularity due to her traditional Southern-style cooking, which she had learned from her grandmother.  
</p>  
<p>  
As The Bag Lady grew in success, Deen moved into restaurant ownership, opening The Lady in the early 1990s. In January 1996, she founded The Lady & Sons in downtown Savannah. The restaurant became a notable culinary destination and was recognized by USA Today in 1999, with readers naming it “International Meal of the Year.”  
</p>  
<h2>Expansion and Restaurant Ventures</h2>  
<p>  
Building on her success, Deen continued to expand her culinary brand. In 2008, she opened Paula Deen Buffet at Harrah’s Tunica Casino in Tunica County, Mississippi. In April 2015, she launched Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, offering family-style Southern fare.  
</p>  
<p>  
She also developed a line of desserts sold at Walmart, launched in September 2009, which included Apple Crunch Top pies, Dark Rum Pecan pies, and Gooey Butter bars. Jamie and <a href="/biography/bobby-deen">Bobby Deen</a>, her two sons, became actively involved in the family business and currently co-own The Lady & Sons.  
</p>  
[page-break]  
<h2>Television Career and Media Presence</h2>  
<p>  
Deen's television career began after she was introduced to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Elliott_(journalist)">Gordon Elliott</a> through a friend, Erin Lewis. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Elliott_(journalist)">Elliott</a> connected her with agent Barry Weiner, which led to appearances on Food Network's Doorknock Dinners. Paula’s popularity grew, and in November 2002, she launched her own show, Paula’s Home Cooking.  
</p>  
<p>  
Her television presence expanded with the debut of Paula’s Party in 2005, followed by Paula’s Best Dishes. In 2007, she won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle Host for her work on Paula’s Home Cooking.  
</p>  
<p>  
In March 2015, she launched the Paula Deen Channel on Roku to maintain her presence in the culinary and lifestyle media space.  
</p>  
<h2>Authorship and Publications</h2>  
<p>  
Paula Deen is also a prolific <a href="/biography/paula-deen">cookbook author</a>. Her first two books, The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cooking I and II, published in 1997, featured time-honored Southern recipes. Collaborating with writer Martha Nesbit, she released additional titles.  
</p>  
<p>  
Deen’s personal and professional journey has been highlighted in publications such as Extraordinary Comebacks: 201 Inspiring Stories of Courage, Triumph, and Success, which profiles notable individuals overcoming adversity.  
</p>  
<h2>Controversies and Public Criticism</h2>  
<p>  
In 2013, Deen faced public backlash over her admission to using racially insensitive language in the past, stemming from a court case filed by a former employee. As a result, the Food Network opted not to renew her contract, and other business partners including Walmart, Smithfield Foods, and Ballantine Books ended their associations with her.  
</p>  
<p>  
Deen has also been criticized for the nutritional content of her recipes. Notably, <a href="/biography/anthony-bourdain">celebrity chef</a> <a href="/biography/anthony-bourdain">Anthony Bourdain</a> remarked that she was promoting unhealthy eating habits. This drew further scrutiny, especially after she disclosed in 2012 that she had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a condition she had been managing privately for several years.  
</p>  
<h2>Personal Life</h2>  
<p>  
In 2004, Deen married Michael Groover, a tugboat captain based in Savannah. She continues to work closely with her sons Jamie and <a href="/biography/bobby-deen">Bobby</a>, who are integral to the day-to-day operations of her restaurant and business empire.  
</p>

Source *

Source you received the information from. eg. personal experiences, acquaintances, web-links, etc

Comment *

Briefly describe the changes you made.

Warning! All fields are required. Empty fields won't allow the form to be submitted and your changes will be lost.
Once the changes are submitted they cannot be edited again until your submission is reviewed.