Paula Deen has come out of the shadows following a lawsuit against her alleging that she used racial slurs and allowed sexual harassment to happen in the workplace. And it actually went well. Deen received a standing ovation Saturday when she appeared alongside her sons Jamie and Bobby Deen at the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show in Houston, TX. She was visibly taken aback by the display and began to wipe away tears, thanking those in attendance for being there in spite of her "rough patch" that occurred three months prior. About 1,400 people were in attendence. She gave two cooking demonstrations during the convention. "I've said all along that the one place that I would want to make my first step back out was Texas," she told the audience. "Y'all's hearts are as big as your state."
The 66-year-old celebrity chef who was dropped from the Food Network following the lawsuit sold tickets to her demonstrations at $400 a piece with overwhelming reception. A judge rejected the racial discrimination case before Deen. She and plantiff Lisa Jackson, who worked at the celebrity chef's restaurant in Savannah, Ga., then reached a settlement. The controversy, however, led to her line of products being dropped from big-name stores such as Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot. Though Deen's contract has not been renewed by the Food Network, she tweeted Monday morning that she would be making an appearance on her son's show "Home For Dinner With Jamie Deen," and would continue her run with the Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show when it hits Dallas Sept. 21 and 22.
"We all experience pain in some way but pain is also a good thing because it makes you grow," Deen said to the crowd. Her five-book deal was canceled due to the allegations, but she is planning to be at the side of her son Jamie for a number of book signings in Georgia for the release of his own book. The Food Network did not comment on Deen's reappearance on his show, nor the Cooking and Entertaining show comment on her being invited to participate. Deen has not quite suffered when it's come to her fanbase, however, as she saw an exponential growth in supporters when she was dropped from the TV channel. Fans of the Southern chef even suggested boycotting retailers who refused to sell her products. Deen made subtle hints that she was planning a comeback, which appears feasible considering her plans for public appearances.
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