Paula Deen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Paula Deen

Deen in 2009
Born	Paula Ann Hiers (1947-01-19) January 19, 1947 (age 78) Albany, Georgia, U.S.
Cooking style	Southern
Spouse	Jimmy Deen ​ ​ (m. 1965; div. 1989)​ Michael Groover ​ (m. 2004)​
Current restaurant(s) The Lady & Sons Restaurant, Paula Deen's Family Kitchen (5 locations)
Television show(s) Paula's Home Cooking (2002–2013) Paula's Party (2006–2013) Paula's Best Dishes (2008–2013) Positively Paula (2016–present) Paula Deen's Sweet Home Savannah (2017–present)
Award(s) won 2007 Emmy for Outstanding Lifestyle Host

Paula Ann Hiers Deen (born January 19, 1947) is a famous American chef, cookbook writer, and TV personality. She lives in Savannah, Georgia. There, she runs The Lady & Sons restaurant with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen. Paula Deen has written many cookbooks, sharing her love for Southern cooking.

Paula Deen's Early Life

Paula Ann Hiers was born in Albany, Georgia. Her parents were Corrie A. Hiers and Earl Wayne Hiers, Sr. When Paula was 19, her father passed away. Her mother died four years later.

Paula married Jimmy Deen when she was 18. They had two sons, James ("Jamie") and Robert ("Bobby"). In her 20s, Paula faced challenges with depression and agoraphobia. This meant she felt very anxious about leaving her house. During this time, she found comfort in cooking for her family.

Paula's grandmother, Irene Paul, taught her how to cook. She learned the art of traditional Southern cooking. Paula described it as "real farmhouse cooking, the kind that takes all day." In 1989, Paula and Jimmy divorced. Paula needed to support herself, her two sons, and her younger brother. She started a catering service called The Bag Lady. She made lunches for office workers, and her sons delivered them.

Paula Deen's Restaurants

The Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah, Georgia

Lady & Sons

Paula's home-based catering business became very successful. In 1991, she took over a restaurant in the Best Western hotel in Savannah. She named it The Lady.

In January 1996, Paula and her sons, Jamie and Bobby, opened their own restaurant. They called it The Lady & Sons. It was located in downtown Savannah. After a few years, the restaurant moved to a larger building.

Paula also opened several casino buffets. These were located in different states. Later, these buffets changed their names. She also co-owned Uncle Bubba's Oyster House in Savannah. This restaurant closed in 2014. It reopened in 2017 as Paula Deen's Creek House, but closed for good in 2023.

In 2015, Paula opened Paula Deen's Family Kitchen in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. She opened another one in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina in 2017. More locations opened in Nashville, Tennessee (2020), and Panama City Beach (2021).

Books and Magazines by Paula Deen

In 1997, Paula Deen published her first cookbooks. They were called The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook and The Lady & Sons, Too! These books shared many traditional Southern recipes. She has written many more cookbooks since then.

Paula has appeared on TV shows like QVC and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Her life story was also shared in a book called Extraordinary Comebacks. In 2007, she released her own memoir, It Ain't All About the Cookin'.

In 2005, Paula launched her own lifestyle magazine. It was called Cooking with Paula Deen. The magazine was very popular. As of 2021, it is still published every month. In 2019, she released her latest cookbook, Paula Deen's Southern Baking.

Paula Deen on TV

Paula Deen started working with Food Network in 1999. A friend introduced her to Gordon Elliott. She appeared in some episodes of his show, Doorknock Dinners.

In 2001, Paula filmed a pilot show called Afternoon Tea. Food Network liked it and gave her her own show. This show was called Paula's Home Cooking. It first aired in November 2002. The show was filmed in different locations, including Paula's own home in Savannah.

Paula Deen at a baseball game in Washington, D.C., in 2010

Paula also hosted two other Food Network shows. These were Paula's Party (starting in 2006) and Paula's Best Dishes (starting in 2008). Her life story was also featured on Food Network's Chefography in 2006.

In June 2013, Food Network decided not to renew Paula's contract. This was due to a disagreement about her past comments.

In March 2015, Paula launched her own channel on Roku. Later that year, she joined the TV show Dancing with the Stars. She competed with professional dancer Louis van Amstel. They finished in 9th place.

In October 2016, Paula started a new TV show called Positively Paula. She also appears on the home shopping network ShopHQ. There, she sells kitchen items and food products.

In 2021, Paula Deen was a guest host on MasterChef. She joined other famous chefs like Emeril Lagasse and Gordon Ramsay. They helped mentor home cooks through cooking challenges.

Paula Deen's Personal Life

In 2004, Paula Deen married Michael Groover. He is a tugboat captain in Port of Savannah, Georgia. Both Paula and Michael have children from previous marriages. Their wedding was even shown on a Food Network special. It took place at Bethesda Academy in Savannah.

Paula is a big supporter of Bethesda Academy. She has encouraged donations to the organization.

Other Work

Paula Deen also appeared in a movie! She made her film debut in Elizabethtown (2005). She played the aunt of the main character, played by Orlando Bloom. Her cooking was also shown in the movie. A Food Network special called Paula Goes Hollywood aired with the film's release.

Awards and Honors

In June 2007, Paula Deen won a Daytime Emmy Award. She won for Outstanding Lifestyle Host for her show Paula's Home Cooking.

In October 2010, she was chosen as the Grand Marshal for the Tournament of Roses Parade. She led the 2011 Rose Parade before the Rose Bowl Game on January 1, 2011.

Criticisms and Health

Paula Deen has received some criticism for her cooking style. Some people have pointed out her use of sugar in recipes. For example, a cookbook she wrote for children was criticized. A TV host said, "You tell kids to have cheesecake for breakfast." Paula replied, "All things in moderation." Another chef commented that her food might not be the healthiest for people.

On January 17, 2012, Paula announced that she had been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes three years earlier. After this, she became a spokesperson for a company that makes medicines for diabetes.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Paula Deen para niños

• List of American restaurateurs
• List of Food Network Canada personalities
• List of people from Georgia (U.S. state)