'Karma': Paula Deen's Soured Reputation Is Starting To Cost Her Big

It's been years since Paula Deen evoked feelings of Southern hospitality and delicious, decadent soul food, and her failing reputation has continued to cost her big time. Deen's trouble started in 2013 when she went through a near career-ending scandal. While in court to fight a racial discrimination lawsuit from one of her former employees, Deen owned up to using the N-word on multiple occasions at her eateries, according to NPR, though at the time she said it was in the distant past. Deen's admission, along with other claims of racial mistreatment by other people in her orbit, was catastrophic for her career, leading her to lose various endorsements, TV contracts, and the public's goodwill.

Although Deen experienced a tragic downfall, she's continued to work over the past decade, churning out several cookbooks, TV shows (and TV appearances), along with online content for YouTube. However, in 2025, at the age of 78 years old, it started seeming unlikely that she'd ever capture her former glory — especially in the wake of some major career moves. Her fans were likely surprised when she announced the closing of two restaurants, including The Lady & Sons, which eventually scored her her first Food Network show. 

"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," posted Deen to her business's Facebook page. "Thank you for all the great memories and for your loyalty over the past 36 years. We have endless love and gratitude for every customer who has walked through our doors. We are equally grateful to our incredible staff—past and present—whose hard work, care, and hospitality made The Lady & Sons what it was." Some Deen critics cheered the closures, with one Facebook user writing, "Another racist gets their karma."

Paula Deen still has several of her Paula Deen's Family Kitchen eateries in operation, but The Lady & Sons was one of the last-standing threads of her former success. Worse, the closing of the restaurant, and the way she went about it, also affected countless others.

Apparently, Deen didn't feel the need to inform her staff that she was going out of business before making her announcement, forcing them to find new means of employment amid her abrupt decision. "Paula Deen CLOSED her restaurant in Savannah without telling a SINGLE employee," wrote a user on X. "Folks showed up for work to find a locked building and police outside. No warning. No severance. No respect. School Just started and they won't get unemployment for weeks."

Although no one from Deen's camp has confirmed this rumor, former employees have opened up about the restaurant's closure and how they were treated in the aftermath. "We got a very small severance, and they told us to go file for unemployment," shared Deen's former employee Brayden Fennell with WJCL. Customers were also apparently caught off guard. For example, Regan Graham shared her reaction to the closing. "Over the past four years I've been here. I've probably been here about ten times," said Graham. "You know, it was always full. Even her store as well. It was a big, huge attraction to a lot of tourists. And I feel like now that it's closed, that a lot of the tourists are going to be very shocked." Given the swift closing, there's no doubt we'll be seeing even less of Deen now.