Paula Deen's live tour lands in San Antonio Wednesday as the celebrity chef continues her lead-up to the launch of her online television network on September 24.
Ahead of the event, Deen expressed her excitement, and, more importantly, her thankfulness for being given a second chance after the fallout from her 2013 scandal. In June of that year, a former employee of hers filed a discrimination lawsuit against her, and she admitted during the deposition to using racial slurs in the past. She apologized but was nonetheless fired from the Food Network, and lost a slew of major endorsements.
She described her tour as "a new beginning, a new chapter,"
telling WTOC on Monday, "I can't express how important it was to me and my family the way [fans] showed their love and support."
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Deen's tour began in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on June 21, and all evidence points to her comeback being a successful one — with packed houses at each of her stops and a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new Paula Deen store in Gatlinburg to boot.
According to The State newspaper in South Carolina, the Queen of Southern Cuisine said the re-emergence reminds her of her first rise to fame. Back then, she was battling the anxiety disorder agoraphobia, which had kept her confined to her home for years.
"I loved my kitchen. That was my security," she explained. "I spent so much time in it and loved everything about it."
This time around, she's putting her whole life in the spotlight, frequently bringing her husband Michael on stage to tell stories between cooking demonstrations, and saying "I would be most disappointed if my children didn’t show up" for the show in Savannah. Her two sons and she co-own a restaurant in town, called The Lady and Sons.
Deen always encourages fans to call out and ask questions during the live shows, and said it feels good to have their support once again.
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