Paula Deen: Dream of being 'next Martha Stewart' is over, author says

Paula Deen: Dream of being ‘next Martha Stewart’ is over, author says

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Paula Deen’s two sons, Jamie, left, and Bobby, defended their mother against accusations of racism, saying they were raised in a loving home where bigotry did not exist. (Carlo Allegri / Associated Press)

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Paula Deen is pictured at a book signing during her more popular days. (Henrietta Wildsmith / Associated Press)

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Glenn Beck is among those who came to the defense of embattled celebrity chef Paula Deen, describing her past use of the N-word as a “violation of political correctness, nothing more” and suggesting that she was the victim of “McCarthyism.”

(Evan Agostini / Associated Press)

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When Paula Deen admitted she had diabetes last year, many took note because Deen was the queen of high-fat, high-calorie Southern cooking. (Carlo Allegri / Associated Press)

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Al Sharpton has offered a defense of Paula Deen, albeit a somewhat qualified one. “A lot of us have in the past said things we have regretted saying years ago,” he told TMZ. Later, his spokesman called the Huffington Post to clarify that Sharpton was not so much defending Deen as withholding judgment. (Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP)

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The lawsuit that led to the downfall of her career is dropped and her accuser starts singing her praises. (Carlo Allegri / Associated Press )

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Paula Deen partners with Najafi Cos in an attempt to jump start her career. (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)

By Rene Lynch

Aug. 24, 2013 5 AM PT

Paula Deen won -- and lost.

That’s how author Allan Salkin described the final chapter of the devastating legal proceedings filed against the celebrity chef. Salkin knows Deen in a way that few do. He interviewed her repeatedly over the years as a New York City journalist, and extensively for his new book, “From Scratch: Inside the Food Network,” out Oct. 1.

“Even though she has put the case behind her, she’ll probably never put this bad publicity behind her,” he said, later adding: “The damage is done.”

PHOTOS: Paula Deen through the scandal

Deen on Friday settled a lawsuit filed against her by a former employee who accused the Queen of Southern Cooking of tolerating a workplace where racial discrimination and sexual harassment were commonplace. The lawsuit blossomed into near daily media headlines when it forced Deen to admit that she had once used the N-word. Her food empire crumbled, with Food Network and Wal-Mart, among others, cutting ties.

When Salkin described his recollections of Deen back in the day, he remembered her as a boisterous force of nature, filling up a room with her “hey y’all” down-to-earth Southern charm. He said she was that rare celebrity who speaks unguardedly and without handlers whispering into her ear at every moment.

That relaxed approach to the media is probably no more. Salkin said that he vividly remembers interviewing Deen more than a decade ago -- long before she became a household name -- and recalls her dreaming about becoming the “next Martha Stewart.”

And though Deen was a wildly popular food figure, she was well on a path to mega-success with her deal to sell food items at retail giant Wal-Mart. But that was before crisis struck.

“She was on the cusp,” Salkin said.

It’s unclear what is next for Deen, he said. “I expect to see her back on television someplace, sometime. But there are a lot of people who feel she is permanently damaged.”

He added: “Settling [the legal case] helps her on the road to whatever rebuilding she is going to be able to do.”

Salkin said that while some feel Deen has gotten what she deserved, the cost will fall heavier on people near her.

“Paula will be fine,” he said. “But she had a lot of employees who are not going to be fine... Paula will be able to pay her bills forever. The people around her won’t be.”

ALSO:

Judge: White woman can’t claim racial discrimination

Abcarian: Deen isn’t off the hook for food or behavior

Paula Deen accuser is singing new tune after legal agreement