Paula Deen

Born in Albany, Georgia, Deen is a notable graduate of Albany High School. She married her first husband after graduating high school in 1965. Her parents both died by the time she was 23, and a resultant fear of death led to chronic agoraphobia. She was a proficient Southern cook, and used it to help deal with her condition.

in 1986, she felt okay enough to take a job as a bank teller. She was robbed at gunpoint the next year, and that incident led her to deal with her agoraphobia head-on.

Release of her book, "The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook". [1998]

Films her cooking show, Paula's Home Cooking (2002), out of her kitchen in Georgia.

Release of her book, "Paula Deen's Kitchen Classics: The Lady & Sons Savannah Country Cookbook and the Lady & Sons, Too!". [2005]

Release of her book, "The Lady & Sons Just Desserts: More Than 120 Sweet Temptations From Savannah's Favorite Restaurant". [2006]

In 2007, Forbes Magazine estimated her earnings for the year to be $4 million.

Launch of "Cooking with Paula Deen", her bimonthly magazine. [2008]

Release of the book, "My Delicious Life with Paula Deen" by her husband, Michael Groover. [2009]

Named "TV's Sexiest Female Chef" by Maxim magazine [October 11, 2011].

In January 2012 she announced that she was diagnosed with having Type 2 Diabetes.

Her younger brother and former business partner, Earl "Bubba" Wayne Hiers Jr., died on August 15, 2019 after a battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 65.