Paula Deen is attempting to reclaim her image in a new documentary titled Canceled: The Paula Deen Story. The former Food Network star lost her TV empire in 2013 after admitting to using the N-word in the past. Now, she wants viewers to understand the context.
In the documentary, Deen reveals that she used the slur during a traumatic bank robbery decades ago, where she says a Black man held her at gunpoint. “All he said was, ‘Get the big bills.’ I couldn’t believe I was still alive,” Deen recalls.
Her attorney argues that the situation was misunderstood and that Deen was unfairly vilified. But many viewers are questioning whether the explanation is sufficient or simply another attempt to excuse unacceptable language.
Deen claims she hopes the documentary will restore her name and allow her to be seen as more than a disgraced TV chef. Whether the public is ready to move on remains to be seen.