Many know Paula Deen as the queen of butter. According to the Wall Street Journal, Paula Deen is rolling in the dough, y’all. Paula Deen is making a comeback.
“Paula Deen Ventures” is launching less than a year after she lost her TV contract and many of her sponsors over a racial slur in June 2013, when Deen was the target of a lawsuit alleging racial and sexual discrimination. Paula Deen has created a new company. The Queen’s new venture will include restaurants, cookbooks, and other Paula Deen products. She is partnering with a Phoenix-based company, Najafi Media, which specializes in consumer distribution. The private-equity firm Najafi Companies is investing $75 million to $100 million to help Paula Deen make a comeback, according to Fox News.
Paula Deen, the celebrity chef and cooking show television host, has published fourteen cookbooks. The Food Network star Deen, praised the partnership with Phoenix-based Najafi.
Paula Deen reported, “I know this is the right decision to lead my team, as we continue to share quality products with my fans — whose love and support have built my brands.”
The CEO of the Najafi Companies, Jahm Najafi, said in a statement that “We know that the enterprise will be successful and valuable, as Paula and her team continue to bring quality products and experiences to her loyal fan base.”
Paula Deen is known for her southern cuisine. In January 2012, Paula Deen announced that she has had type 2 diabetes for the past three years. Deen has faced extensive criticism for the high amounts of fat, salt, and sugar in her recipes. It was also disclosed that Paula Deen is a paid spokesperson for the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, the main export of which is insulin. She was called a hypocrite for continuing to promote her high-fat and sugar diet while disclosing her medical condition only when it benefited her in representing the drug company to market their diabetes management program.
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