It appears that there is little that remains of Paula Deen's crumbling empire in wake of criticism surrounding the controversy in which the celebrity chef admitted to using racial slurs.
Random House's Ballantine Books joined the ranks of the Food Network, Smithfield, Wal-Mart, and a bevy of other companies in ceasing its relationship with the self-proclaimed queen of butter.
The publisher released a statement on Friday, saying it would not release Deen's forthcoming cookbook, "Paula Deen's New Testament: 250 Recipes: All Lightened Up" as well as four other cookbooks the chef had been contracted to write. The book, which was scheduled to hit shelves in October, had soaring advanced sales and ranked No. 1 on Amazon.com as of Thursday morning, The Associated Press reported.
Yet despite the lucrative presale, Ballantine Books said the decision came after "careful consideration," according to the AP.
The Southern chef, 66, and her brother are being sued for racial and sexual discrimination by Lisa Jackson, who worked as a manager of their Savannah, Ga., restaurant. During a deposition in May, Jackson's lawyer asked Deen whether she'd ever used the N-word. She said she had.
But in a statement to ABC News, Paula Deen Enterprises said the chef was "speaking largely about a time in American history which was quite different than today."
While Deen's literary agent, Jannis Donnaud, told the AP that she was "confident that these books will be published and that we will have a new publisher," this breach marks the 12th company to cut ties with the southern chef.
Yet despite the lucrative presale, Ballantine Books said the decision came after "careful consideration," according to the AP.
The Southern chef, 66, and her brother are being sued for racial and sexual discrimination by Lisa Jackson, who worked as a manager of their Savannah, Ga., restaurant. During a deposition in May, Jackson's lawyer asked Deen whether she'd ever used the N-word. She said she had.
But in a statement to ABC News, Paula Deen Enterprises said the chef was "speaking largely about a time in American history which was quite different than today."
While Deen's literary agent, Jannis Donnaud, told the AP that she was "confident that these books will be published and that we will have a new publisher," this breach marks the 12th company to cut ties with the southern chef.
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