Additional Coverage:
- 12 years after a scandal made her a pariah, Paula Deen finally sets the record straight in a new documentary (businessinsider.com)
Paula Deen Documentary to Premiere at Toronto International Film Festival
A new documentary exploring the rise and fall of celebrity chef Paula Deen, “Canceled: The Paula Deen Story,” will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this Saturday. The film, directed by Billy Corben (known for “Cocaine Cowboys” and “God Forbid”), delves into Deen’s journey from Savannah restauranteur to Food Network star, and the subsequent controversy that dramatically reshaped her career.
Corben’s decision to make the film followed a revealing car ride with Deen and her sons. Initially hesitant about the project, the Deen family’s raw emotional responses during the drive convinced Corben of the story’s compelling nature. He described the exchange as “the greatest documentary I’ve never made.”
Deen’s career crumbled in 2013 after admitting to using a racial slur during a deposition for a discrimination lawsuit (which was later dismissed). The resulting media firestorm led to the loss of her Food Network show and numerous endorsement deals.
The documentary promises to provide context to the controversy, including Deen’s explanation that the last time she used the slur was during a traumatic incident decades earlier. Corben hopes the film will offer viewers a more nuanced understanding of the events.
While documentaries about fallen public figures often aim to rehabilitate their image, Corben insists this wasn’t his intention. He and producing partner Alfred Spellman view the film as a cultural examination of the early 2000s, a period they frequently explore in their work.
Deen’s career has seen significant changes since the controversy. She sold her Savannah estate and recently closed her flagship restaurant, The Lady & Sons.
However, she continues to make cooking appearances and operates a chain of restaurants called Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen. According to Corben, Deen’s primary goal isn’t a return to her former glory, but simply to share her side of the story.
He recalled Deen saying, “I don’t want it to say on my tombstone, here lies the body of a racist.” While Deen’s reaction to the film remains unknown, she and her sons are expected to attend the TIFF premiere.