The Georgia restaurant co-owned by Paula Deen that was at the center of the lawsuit that resulted in the celebrity chef admitting to having used a racial slur, sending her career into a tailspin, has closed.
In this Dec. 30, 2010 photo, Paula Deen speaks in Pasadena, Calif. (AP/Nick Ut)
"Thank you for 10 great years. Uncle Bubba's is now closed," a statement on the Uncle Bubba's Oyster House website said.
Deen spokesman Jaret Keller told the Associated Press that co-owner Bubba Hiers, Deen's brother, decided to close it to explore development options.
In 2012, a former worker at the Savannah, Ga., restaurant filed suit claiming she was sexually harassed and that she heard racial remarks in the workplace, including racial slurs used by both Deen and Hiers. Deen admitted during a deposition that she had used the N-word in the past. Despite issuing a public apology, she was dropped by the Food Network in June 2013.
Deen has experienced more backslides as she's tried recently to revitalize her image. In February, she drew condemnation for comparing her struggle to openly gay NFL prospect Michael Sam, calling him "that black football player."
“It’s like that black football player who recently came out,” Deen said in an interview. “He said, ‘I just want to be known as a football player. I don’t want to be known as a gay football player.’ I know exactly what he’s saying.”
