Paula Deen, once a beloved icon of Southern cooking and the face of a multimillion-dollar culinary empire, is stepping back into the public eye with a new documentary, "Canceled: The Paula Deen Story." Premiering on September 6, 2025, at the Toronto International Film Festival, the film offers Deen’s personal account of the scandal that upended her career in 2013 and her reflections on the decade that followed. The documentary, directed by Billy Corben, doesn’t shy away from controversy, instead placing Deen’s story under a fresh spotlight and inviting audiences to reconsider the events that led to her dramatic fall from grace.
The heart of Deen’s saga traces back to a 2013 deposition, part of a lawsuit filed by Lisa Jackson, a former manager at Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House—run by Deen’s brother, Bubba Deen. During questioning, Deen admitted to having used a racial slur in the past, specifically referencing a traumatic incident in 1987 when she was held at gunpoint while working at a bank. The admission, however, was seized upon by the media and the public, triggering an avalanche of backlash that saw her lose every major business partnership within 24 hours. "Food Network was first to jump off, then Walmart, and Target. It was just everybody," Deen recalled in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter in September 2025. She described the experience as "heart-wrenching" and said she was left "totally broken."
Deen’s contract with Food Network was not renewed, with the network issuing a statement in 2013 that it did not "tolerate any form of discrimination" and was "a strong proponent of diversity and inclusion," according to Reuters. The loss of her shows and endorsement deals wiped out years of hard work and left Deen feeling isolated. "Within 24 hours, I lost every job I had," she reiterated, emphasizing the speed and totality of her professional collapse.
In the documentary, Deen opens up about the emotional toll of the scandal. "I want my soul back," she says. "To lose your reputation is like losing your soul." This sentiment echoes throughout the film, as Deen reflects on the pain of being publicly shamed and the struggle to reclaim her narrative. "I’m not OK in here," she admits, pointing to her chest. "I’m not OK in here. Until both sides get out, the whole entire dirty truth." For Deen, the documentary is more than just a recounting of events—it’s an attempt to set the record straight and, perhaps, find some measure of redemption. "I would have been fine had the whole story been told—had the real story been told. They took this woman (the plaintiff), who is a known liar, they took her word and ran with it, and no one ever investigated any further. I was not going to be happy until the world saw the truth," she told The Hollywood Reporter.
Her family, too, features prominently in the documentary. Deen’s sons, Bobby and Jamie, recall the harrowing days following the scandal. Bobby, now 55, remembers his mother as "scared as could be," while Jamie, 58, describes Matt Lauer’s demeanor during a 2013 Today show interview as "a little tough, a little on his high horse." Lauer, who aggressively questioned Deen about her motivations for appearing on the show, would later find himself embroiled in his own scandal. NBC News fired Lauer in 2017 after a sexual misconduct review, a moment that Deen recalls with mixed emotions. "I wanted to send him a note when his troubles started," she says in the documentary. "I was just very sympathetic to anybody that went through that kind of pain. But some people deserve it."
Deen’s husband, Michael Groover, adds his own pointed commentary, comparing Lauer’s interview style to that of "a Gestapo agent." The family’s recollections paint a picture of a woman under siege, not just by the media but by former colleagues and the public at large.
The documentary also revisits Deen’s feud with the late chef and television personality Anthony Bourdain, who died by suicide in 2018. Bourdain was famously critical of Deen, once calling her "the most dangerous person in America" and lambasting her for promoting unhealthy eating habits. Deen, for her part, defends her culinary legacy. "I don’t know what he was off in those countries eatin’—bat brains or something," she says in the film. "I’ll stick to my fried chicken." Reflecting on Bourdain’s relentless criticism, Deen adds, "God rest his soul. I felt like he didn’t like anybody. Not even himself. He started something with me, and I hadn’t even met him."
Director Billy Corben has said that his film explores the idea that "not all cancellations are created equal." The documentary examines not just the specifics of Deen’s case, but the broader cultural conversation around public shaming, redemption, and the lasting impact of "cancel culture." As Corben told People, when Deen made her comment about Lauer, "everyone at the filming could feel it in the room. Well, that's going to be in the final cut."
Deen’s defense in the film is multifaceted. She maintains that her admission of having used a racial slur was honest and rooted in a specific, decades-old incident, not indicative of her character or current behavior. "But that word has been out of our vocabulary now for a long time," she says. "My children and my brother object to that word being used in any cruel or mean behavior. As well as I do." She insists that her upbringing in the South and her father’s teachings instilled in her a respect for others. "My daddy taught me when I was a teenager, he told me, ‘I don’t ever want to ever hear you being mean or rude to anyone.’ That’s how I was raised."
Despite the setbacks, Deen has managed to maintain a presence in the culinary world. She remains active on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, and continues to operate her Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen restaurants in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; Nashville, Tennessee; and Branson, Missouri. However, her flagship Lady & Sons restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, closed in July 2025—a poignant reminder of how much has changed since her heyday.
Looking back, Deen acknowledges the support she received from her fan base during the darkest days. "I had, like, 5 and a half, 6 million people come in on my Facebook and put their arms around me. And without y’all, I would not have survived," she told Fox & Friends in August 2025.
For Deen, "Canceled: The Paula Deen Story" is not just a film, but a plea for understanding and a chance to reclaim her soul. As she bluntly puts it, "When they lay me down, I do not want on my tombstone: Here lies the body of a racist." The documentary invites viewers to grapple with uncomfortable questions about forgiveness, accountability, and the enduring power of public opinion.
