Not only did Southern-fried cuisine queen Paula Deen conceal her type 2 diabetes from her fans for three years, but she also kept the big fat secret from her bosses at the Food Network.
A source at the network, which helped launch Deen’s full-fat food empire and airs her hit show “Paula’s Best Dishes,” told The Daily that although the celebrity chef was diagnosed with diabetes in 2008, she only alerted Food Network brass last week. That was when The Daily broke the news that Deen planned to come clean.
“I was diagnosed three years ago during a regular physical exam with my doctor,” Deen said yesterday on NBC’s “Today” show. “I’m here today to let the world know that it is not a death sentence.”
Deen, 64, the sugary, down-home grandma famous for such fatty delicacies as “Velveeta fudge” and “bacon cheeseburger meatloaf,” also announced that she inked a spokeswoman deal with Danish drug giant Novo Nordisk that will net her a seven-figure payday. Deen takes Victoza, a once-daily, non-insulin injection marketed by the company.
While keeping the Food Network and her fans in the dark about her diabetes, Deen continued delivering episodes on deep-fried butter balls and other artery-clogging fare as she raked in an estimated $10 million per year via her TV show, cookbooks, endorsements and appearances.
“I intentionally did it,” Deen admitted to NBC’s Al Roker of hiding the news from fans. “I said, ‘I’m gonna keep this close to my chest for the time being’ because I had to figure out things in my own head.”
The culinary con had admitted as far back as 2007, however, that she was taking “blood pressure” medication.
The Food Network offered its official support in a statement, saying, “Our only concern is for Paula’s health.”
“We will continue to support Paula as she confronts this new challenge, taking her lead on what future episodes will offer her fans,” it said.
There will be no immediate changes to the butter-drenched bonanza that is “Paula’s Best Dishes.” Because Deen and her production company deliver episodes to the Food Network months before they air, a production source said, viewers can expect to see Deen frying up her usual fatty fare for months to come.
The news of Deen’s diabetes drew criticism from fellow TV chef Anthony Bourdain, who last year branded Deen “the worst, most dangerous person to America.”
“When your signature dish is hamburger in between a doughnut, and you’ve been cheerfully selling this stuff knowing all along that you’ve got type 2 diabetes … It’s in bad taste, if nothing else,” Bourdain told Eater.com on Monday.
When confronted about withholding the news of her diabetes, Deen dished to “Today” that she “wanted to bring something to the table when I came forward.”
With help from her sons Jamie and Bobby Deen, the finger-licking chef introduced a joint initiative with Novo Nordisk dubbed “Diabetes in a New Light,” which will feature healthier versions of her trademark comfort food.
The Savannah, Ga.-based Deens began cutting the fat by demonstrating a new lightened-up version of their lasagna, prepared with fat-free ricotta cheese, vegetables and gluten-free noodles. It’s a sharp contrast from their original recipe, a decadent dish packed with gruyere, swiss, cheddar and an 8-ounce package of cream cheese.
After branding herself as a purveyor of deep-fried macaroni and cheese, Deen now finds herself in an unfamiliar position — the overnight face of diabetes, a disease affecting about 26 million Americans and blamed for the deaths of some 70,000 a year.
It’s a delicate predicament for Deen, who declined to declare a total overhaul of her high-calorie cooking style in her “Today” appearance.
“I tell people ‘In moderation … You can have that little piece of pie,’ ” she said, adding, “Diabetes does not have to stop you from enjoying the things you love.”
In order to successfully rebrand herself, Deen has to “rewrite her story,” said Donna Sturgess, president of Buyology, a branding company.
“Her brand has been indicted, but she seemed too conflicted to say that what she cooked in the past is really a problem,” Sturgess said. “She has to be clear about who she is now. If all of the diabetics in the world really lean into her, she can have an even better brand than she has now.”
Michelle.Ruiz@thedaily.com
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