Paula Deen served up ice cream French toast (and a side of scandal) during a recent episode of "Fox & Friends."
The former Food Network star appeared on the Fox News network morning show Wednesday, Aug. 20 and addressed an upcoming documentary, "Canceled: The Paula Deen Story."
In 2013, Deen's career was upended after she admitted in a deposition – that was part of a lawsuit – that she had used racial epithets in the past and tolerated racial jokes in the workplace.
"My children and I were a little leery at first," she said of the documentary to "Fox & Friends" host Steve Doocy at her Savannah, Georgia home. "But then we decided — let me tell you something, Steve. I thought I was going to die of a broken heart."
She continued: "And I said I couldn't let myself fall back into that terrible (agoraphobia). But I had, like, 5 and a half, 6 million people come in on my Facebook and put their arms around me. And without y’all, I would not have survived."
Her Food Network shows were subsequently cancelled, but her career survived. She kept the doors to her own restaurant open, and now boasts a healthy social media following (over 5 million followers on Facebook and Instagram).
Deen was referencing a past self-diagnosis with agoraphobia, which Mayo Clinic describes as an anxiety disorder that "involves fearing and avoiding places or situations that might cause panic and feelings of being trapped."
She said she struggled with the disorder for 20 years after diagnosing herself with the disorder while watching "The Phil Donahue Show."
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Ex-Food Network star Paula Deen abruptly closes her Georgia restaurant The Lady and Sons
The lawsuit that sparked widespread backlash over a decade ago was brought against Deen and her brother, Bubba Hiers, by Lisa Jackson, a former manager of the siblings' restaurant, Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Oyster House, alleging sexual harassment and a workplace rife with racial slurs. That establishment closed in 2014.
After the 2013 racism scandal, Deen kept her restaurant The Lady and Sons open. But just weeks ago, the matriarch and her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen, announced the Southern style eatery was abruptly closing (along with another restaurant The Chicken Box, which opened in 2023).
"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," Deen said in a statement. She continued: "Thank you for all the great memories and for your loyalty over the past 36 years."
The family said they will instead focus on their four remaining Paula Deen's Family Kitchen locations in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Branson, Missouri.
The Food Network first aired "Paula's Home Cooking" in 2002 and added "Paula's Best Dishes" in 2008 among other programs later on. Deen catapulted to legendary Southern cooking status with the success of her Food Network shows, Georgia restaurants and a slew of cookbooks, homeware and endorsement deals.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paula Deen thought she'd 'die' amid racism scandal
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