Four buffets located in Caesars properties will no longer carry Paula Deen's name as a scandal surrounding her racist attitude and remarks continues to unfold, captivating both the mainstream media as well as gossip outlets.
The news of Caesars' ousting of the sassy Southerner with the sullied reputation quickly spread into the realm of gambling and poker media, where many cheered Caesars' move. There were even a few industry observers who took to Twitter and poker forums to condemn Caesars and defend Deen, whom Forbes reported as being the fourth highest-paid celebrity chef last year, according to USA Today.
Partnership with Caesars is but one casualty for the Southern cook
Deen, who is perhaps best-known for her sugar and butter-laden concoctions and her less-than-aboveboard revelation early last year that she is a diabetic only after agreeing to a lucrative drug sponsorship deal, is in hot water over remarks she made in a deposition related to a sexual harassment case. A transcript of the deposition was made public last week, and in it Deen freely admits not only to using racist language, but also to openly permitting the viewing of pornography in her restaurants.
Deen is also accused of hosting "plantation-themed" parties where she ordered employees to work without pay and under the threat of losing their jobs, while dressed in uniforms evoking slave labor.
Since the scandal broke, the 66-year-old Georgia native has been fired by the Food Network, which immediately yanked her popular shows from the air, though programs featuring her sons were spared. She also lost a lucrative contract with Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer in the United States.
Caesars to re-brand buffets in the months aheadCaesars Entertainment released a statement in which a spokesperson for the company said, "While we appreciate Paula’s sincere apologies for statements she made in her past that she recently disclosed during a deposition given in response to a lawsuit, after thoughtful consideration of their impact, we have mutually decided that it is in the best interests of both parties to part ways at this time."
The Deen-endorsed buffets were located at Caesars properties in Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, as well as at Harrah's in Joliet, Illinois, just outside of Chicago.
While Caesar's may have remarked that it believed Deen's apologies were heartfelt, there are many who feel that Deen's rampant apology spree has been anything but sincere. As for the buffets, officials representing Caesars said that they expected that the eateries would be re-branded in the months ahead, however an exact timeline was not released.
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