Paula Deen's Cooking Empire Collapses

A regretful (and offensive) word choice in her past has landed Paula Deen in some serious hot water lately.

In a recent lawsuit, one of her former employees has sued Paula Deen for racial discrimination due to her usage of the “n-word” in business conversations.

It seems that Paula Deen’s employers aren’t too happy about this negative image of their Southern Diva. First, Food Network decided to not renew Paula Deen’s contract at the network, ending a 14 year television era.

If that wasn’t bad enough, soon Caesars Entertainment, a string of casinos and food establishments, has announced their decision to end their business relationship with Paula Deen (“in the best interests of both parties), closing down four Paula Deen Restaurants in the process.

Soon, Paula Deen’s contract as spokeswoman for Smithfield Foods has been ended. The company says it “condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind. Therefore, we are terminating our partnership with Paula Deen.”

Her partnership with QVC is also up in the air, the network stating they are reviewing their business relationships with her… But until they make a decision, they’ve stated they will not allow her on their networks again.

And then, in a final blow to the Paula Deen Empire, Wal-mart Stores Inc. have announced their decision to terminate all business relationships with Paula Deen and her company. The store currently sells her exclusive cookware and other merchandise. They have stated that they will no longer carry her products.

Many other retailers are following suit, Target Corp. included.

In an effort to calm the seas a bit, Paula Deen appeared on the “Today” show, and offered her sincerest apology. “If there’s anyone out there that has never said something that they wish they could take back … please pick up that stone and throw it so hard at my head that it kills me.”

So it seems that Paula Deen’s ever-expanding empire has been smashed by one lawsuit.

With the increase of social media, do other celebrities face this same risk? Conversations are easily recorded and shared. A misplaced tweet could ruin a career. How does this make you feel?

Either way, it’s never fun to see someone’s life crumble before your eyes. Hopefully all parties involved can reach a semi-peaceful agreement and that Paula Deen has learned from this event.