Paula Deen's Fall From Grace

Paula Deen is a celebrity chef, television cooking show host, and is ranked 4th on Forbes’ list of Top Earning Chefs. Her relationship with the Food Network began in 1999. Not only is Deen a chef, she is also an author, restaurant owner, and a brand name featured in many stores across the nation. That is until the summer of 2013 when Deen was hit with a sexual harassment and racial discrimination lawsuit. Though the lawsuit was dropped at the end of August, the poor press resulted in the loss of many endorsements and the presence of never-ending scandals.

This blog provides an insight into the PR tactics and theories used during times of turbulence and redemption for Deen and her endorsers. The posts include discussion of the public relations involved with and surrounding Deen during:

• The loss of her endorsements (i.e. Sears, CVS, Walmart)
• The Food Network’s decision to not renew her contract
• Her choice and the repercussions of hiding her Diabetes
• Post-scandal comeback

We focused on different aspects of the Paula Deen scandal. Two of our examples focus on the scandal from the perspective of Deen’s business partners. These examples involve looking through the Social Exchange Theory lens. The business partners had to weigh the costs and benefits of keeping Deen as part of their image and the PR impact of their decision. Our other two examples look at the scandal from Deen’s perspective. One involves her decision to hide her type 2 Diabetes and then it being widely reported on through the mass media and the PR impact of that choice, which can be explained by the Agenda Setting Theory. The other involves Deen’s post-scandal comeback including the opening of a new store and a live cooking show using the Situational Theory to explain how her PR lowered constraints and increased audience involvement.