Paula Deen Under Fire After Sharing Controversial Photo Of Son In Brownface On Twitter

Paula Deen has found herself in the middle of a brand new controversy after sharing a photo of her son, Bobby Deen, in brownface on her official Twitter account.

Paula Deen Shares Photo Of Son In Brownface On Twitter

Deen, the Southern celebrity cook who made headlines after it was revealed that she had used the n-word and racial slurs in the past, shared the controversial photo on Tuesday, July 7. In the photo, Deen appears dressed up as Lucy from I Love Lucy while her son, Bobby, is disguised as Lucy’s husband, Ricky, who was Cuban-American. As part of his disguise, Bobby’s face is clearly painted a significantly darker shade, otherwise known as brownface. “[Lucy}! You got a lot of esplainin’ to do! #TransformationTuesday @BobbyDeen,” read the caption.

Fans and others quickly pointed out that the tweet and accompanying photo was offensive and racist, and the post was removed from Deen’s official Twitter account. On Wednesday, Deen released a statement claiming that Deen had no part in posting the offensive photo, and that her Social Media Manager was to blame.

“Paula Deen’s Social Media Manager posted a picture this morning of Paula and Bobby Deen dressed in costume as Lucy and Ricky, from I Love Lucy. This photograph is from a Halloween episode of Paula’s Best Dishes that aired in 2011,” the statement said.

Paula Deen Fires Social Media Manager

Deen also declared that she had fired the Social Media Manager responsible, adding, “Paula immediately had this picture taken down as soon as she saw the post and apologizes to all who were offended. As such, Paula Deen Ventures has terminated their relationship with this Social Media Manager.”

This is the second racial scandal Deen has been at the center of. In 2013, Deen saw her cooking empire crumble – with sponsors cutting ties from the chef and the Food Network terminating their contract with the celebrity – after she admitted to using the N-word in the past.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.