Paula Deen Racism Scandal: Restaurant at Center of Controversy Closes Down
The restaurant that served as the birthplace of Paula Deen's racism scandal has closed down.
The Savannah, Georgia, restaurant Uncle Bubba's Seafood & Oyster House, which was owned by celebrity chef Deen's brother, Earl W. “Bubba” Hiers Jr., has served it last oyster, according to the restaurant's website.
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“Thank you for 10 great years,” a message on the restaurant's website and Facebook page reads. “Uncle Bubba's is now closed.”
The restaurant served as the epicenter of Deen's professional undoing last year, after a former employee at the restaurant filed a lawsuit claiming that she was subjected to a workplace filled with racism, sexism, and threats of violence.
The racial claim was dismissed after a judge ruled that the employee, who is white, couldn't sue on those grounds, and the case was eventually settled amicably.
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However, the lawsuit yielded a deposition in which Deen admitted to having used the N-word in the past. News of the deposition prompted multiple awkward apologies from Deen, and caused a host of Deen's business partners — including the Food Network, Smithfield Foods, Walmart and Target — to sever ties with the butter-happy celebrity chef.
In recent months, signs of a career resurgence for Deen have emerged; she received between $75 and $100 million for her new company, Paula Deen Ventures, from Phoenix-based private equity firm Najafi Companies.
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Deen also surfaced at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in February, declaring her intention to “get back in the saddle” — before riding on the back at fellow celebrity foodie Robert Irvine.
The post Paula Deen Racism Scandal: Restaurant at Center of Controversy Closes Down appeared first on TheWrap.
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