Paula Deen has stewed up another racial controversy. The Food Network icon is under fire again, this time because of a contentious tweet she posted on Tuesday.
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The tweet, which has since been deleted, used the popular #TransformationTuesday hashtag and showed Deen dressed as Lucille Ball’s I Love Lucy character, next to her son, Bobby, dressed as Ricky Ricardo—a costume which he apparently felt required blackface. The photo appears to be from the set of her show, Paula Deen’s Kitchen.
This isn’t the first time Deen has been embroiled in a racial controversy. In 2013, the southern chef was caught on video using the N-word, and expressed an interest in hiring black men and women to play “slaves” at a wedding.
Bobby Deen, who hosts Food Network shows Holiday Baking Championship and Spring Baking Championship, defended his mother during her last racist scandal, saying he “abhors” the N-word and did not grow up hearing it in his household.
Unfortunately for the Deen family, many Twitter users are rightfully angry about the photo and took to the site to condemn Paula for what they see as her inability to respect other races after the backlash she faced in 2013’s scandal.
Wow! The #Deens just don't get it. #Brownfacing #PaulaDeen https://t.co/inj2DtQS7u
— J. Véliz (@itsjveliz) July 7, 2015
We really need to expand on the ethnic and cultural education of the American population. #PaulaDeen esque fiascos would surely decline.
— Perry (@kr_p_ent) July 7, 2015
Deleting an awful tweet tells the world: I know I'm a horrible person but I don't feel like apologizing. #PaulaDeen
— YesBiscuit (@YesBiscuit) July 7, 2015
https://twitter.com/HoboStusAmerica/status/618456636714287104
As one user noted, Bobby Deen’s own wife, Claudia Lovera, is from Venezuela.
https://twitter.com/The_News_DIVA/status/618455912118910977
Perhaps one day the Deens will learn to cook up fun without racist ingredients.
Photo via r. nial bradshaw/Flickr (CC BY 2.0) | Remix by Max Fleishman