Paula Deen's 4 Casino Restaurants To Close After Being Dropped By Caesars
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Paula Deen dropped from Food Network, Caesars Casinos and Smithfield Foods.
Shortly after Paula Deen gave an emotional apology on the "Today" show this morning, the casino corporation behind Caesars Palace has decided to sever ties with the former Food Network star.
That means that Deen's four restaurants with the casino company will now be shuttered.
Deen has restaurants in Harrah's Tunica near Memphis, Harrah's Joliet near Chicago, Harrah's Cherokee in North Carolina and a buffet at Horseshoe Southern Indiana.
"While we appreciate Paula's sincere apologies for statements she made in her past ... we have mutually decided that it is in the best interests of both parties to part ways at this time," said Jan Jones Blackhurst, executive vice president of communications and government affairs for Caesars Entertainment.
Caesars says it intends to rebrand Paula's restaurants and reopen them in a few months, according to TMZ.
This is just the latest fallout from Deen's racism scandal.
Last week the Food Network said it wouldn't renew Deen's contract when it expires at the end of the month.
And the country's largest pork producer Smithfield Foods, who sold a line of Deen-branded hams, dropped her as a spokeswoman on Monday.
"Smithfield condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind. Therefore, we are terminating our partnership with Paula Deen," Keira Lombardo, the Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications of Smithfield Foods said in a statement earlier this week. "Smithfield is determined to be an ethical food industry leader and it is important that our values and those of our spokespeople are properly aligned."
Deen became a spokesperson for Smithfield Foods in 2006.
On Wednesday afternoon, Wal-Mart announced they were also dropping Deen.
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