Hey, Y’all. It is beginning to look like everyone wants a piece of Paula Deen. Police arrested Thomas Paculis in New York on Friday for attempting to extort $250,000 from the celebrity chef.
The FBI were contacted after Deen’s attorney filed a federal criminal complaint with the Southern District of Georgia on June 24, citing an email and a phone call demanding money in exchange for withholding “damning information” that would hurt her financial empire.
A portion of the email threatened, “I am about to go public with statements refuting your clients claims regarding her use of the ‘N’ word in her business practices at Lady and Son’s. The statements are true and damning enough that the case for Jackson will be won on it’s merit alone.”
The irony here is that Deen’s empire imploded without any revelations by Paculis. The Food Network panicked first and was quickly followed by a string of other brands, including Walmart and Target.
Paula Deen has told authorities that she doesn’t recognize Thomas Paculis and his name is unfamiliar to her. The perp, who has a previous arrest record, was taken into custody July 5, and will go before a judge in Savannah, GA on July 16.
Photo: WENN