What do a southern chef, the owner of a professional basketball team and a candidate in the 2016 presidential election have in common? They’ve all been ditched by brands, retailers and other companies after being accused of making racist comments. The latest addition to the list comes as Macy’s announced it would sever its decades-long relationship with businessman Donald Trump. [More]
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Restaurant That Brought Down Paula Deen’s Empire Closes, Doesn’t Tell Employees
By 4.4.14
“Thank you for 10 great years. Uncle Bubba’s is now closed.” That’s the message the restaurant at the center of the controversy that brought Paula Deen’s empire crumbling down last year has posted on its website, which was reportedly echoed on its Facebook page. And according to some of the restaurant’s employees, that’s the only way they found out that they no longer had jobs. [More]
Paula Deen Will Open New $20 Million Restaurant This Summer In Tennessee
By 2.27.14
She’s back, y’all. Or at least, Paula Deen is back in the food business for the first time since the scandal over her admitted past use of racial slurs that stripped her of most of her lucrative business deals. And she’s not slipping in through the kitchen door quietly. Unless a $20 million restaurant is the definition of “quiet.” [More]
Walmart Will Spend The Next Three Months Getting Rid Of Its Leftover Paula Deen Items
By 9.27.13
When retailers like Walmart dropped Paula Deen in the midst of the controversy surrounding her use of racially-charged language, it’s not like there was a ginormous magnet that could snag all her products from shelves and whisk them away like magic. Because while Walmart announced back in June that it wouldn’t place any new orders for her branded merchandise, it still has a bunch to get rid of already in stock. [More]
Paula Deen Comic Book To Live On In Wake Of Major Brand Implosion
By 7.11.13
Now that Paula Deen’s big business deals have fallen like so many dominos in the wake of her admission to using racist language, it might seem like there aren’t many companies out there eager to sell goods with her name attached. Not so in the world of comics, apparently, as one publisher says it’s going ahead with plans to release the comic book Female Force: Paula Deen in October. [More]
Paula Deen’s Upcoming Cookbook Chucked, Bringing Total Number Of Downed Deals To 12
By 7.1.13
At which point does a sponsorship meltdown become epic? Because we’re pretty close to calling the avalanche of dropped deals for Paula Deen branded merchandise epic right about now: Ballantine Books announced it’s canceling the publication of Paula Deen’s New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up. It was to be a healthy rehashing of Deen’s recipes. That brings the total killed deals to 12. [More]
Paula Deen’s Empire Continues To Crumble As Target Phases Out Her Products
By 6.28.13
UPDATE: The bloodshed continues — Sears, Walgreens and Kmart will all be phasing out Paula Deen’s products as well. [More]
While Paula Deen’s Business Partners Abandon Ship, Her Cruise Trip Adds An Extra Voyage
By 6.27.13
As of yesterday evening, Paula Deen had lost a handful of her business partners: Food Network, Smithfield Foods, Caesars Entertainment, Walmart and by the end of the day, Home Depot. Meanwhile, QVC and Target are still undecided. But one partner isn’t abandoning ship yet, and it happens to be an actual ship: Organizers of her annual “Paula Deen Cruise” event have added an extra voyage to the 2014 schedule. [More]
Walmart “Will Not Place New Orders” For Paula Deen Products
By 6.26.13
Paula Deen’s business deals are sliding away faster than a pat of butter on a pile of hot cakes: Joining Caesars Entertainment, Smithfield Foods and the Food Network, Walmart has announced that it’s cutting ties to the southern chef. QVC also said earlier this week that it had “concerns” over the recent controversy involving Deen’s use of racial epithets. [More]
