Did Paula Deen Get Plastic Surgery? What She's Said About Cosmetic Procedures

Paula Deen has undergone numerous transformations through the years. In a 2013 People interview, she revealed that she and her two sons had gone on a weight loss journey over the previous 12 months. At the end of it, the Deen family had collectively shed a whopping 178 pounds, with the former food show host contributing 40 pounds to that impressive number. Naturally, the dramatic weight loss in a rather short period led many to speculate that Deen had gone under the knife. During a chat with Entertainment Tonight, that same year, she confessed that the thought had crossed her mind, reasoning, "At 66 you'll find your chin in your lap, you know, if you lose too much because that loose skin has to go somewhere doesn't it?" (via the Daily Mail). 

However, it's unclear if she ever got any surgery to remove the excess skin after her weight loss because, as Deen pointed out, "Folks wake up dead after that surgery sometimes. I'm just scared of it." Of course, the famous chef isn't alone in these fears, so we reached out to Dr. Patrick Davis of Davis Facial Plastics in Beverly Hills to find out whether cosmetic surgery really is all that risky. Dr. Davis professed that most surgeries naturally come with risks, but candidates can reduce them by only working with experienced professionals. "Complications such as bleeding or infection are exceedingly low," the doctor confirmed, before noting that surgery could have a short-term effect on facial nerve control but most patients will regain it again in no time.

We wanted to get to the bottom of the Paula Deen plastic surgery rumors, so we showed Dr. Patrick Davis a few different photos of her over the years and asked whether he spotted any hallmarks of someone having gone under the knife. Dr. Davis pointed out that the former food show host's face, particularly her cheek and the lower parts, were much fuller in the 2010 photo (above on the left). When he viewed photos of her from 2024, in which Deen looked nearly unrecognizable, the facial plastic surgeon noticed a stark difference in the level of fullness. 

However, Dr. Davis attributed these changes to the medication she took for diabetes, a condition which the TV chef revealed she had been diagnosed with during a 2012 appearance on "Today." Dr. Davis further asserted, "The concern with rapid change from enlarged or 'hypertrophied' fat areas in the face to diminished or nonexistent fat deposits, is the risk of excessive skin laxity and a 'deflated' appearance." 

Ultimately though, in his professional opinion, Deen didn't go under the knife as part of her impressive transformation. "Looking at her more recent photos, although I am not privy to her medical information, I do not believe that she has had facial surgery," Dr. Davis said. "For me, the telltale sign is the laxity of her neck. With a proper neck and facelift, this area would be lifted and trimmed to treat the lax skin." 

During a 2015 appearance on "The Doctor Oz Show," Paula Deen admitted that her Type 2 diabetes diagnosis prompted the start of her weight loss journey. "At that point, I went home to my kitchen and I threw out everything that was white," she recalled. "White bread, white rice, white potatoes, and white pasta," (via Good Housekeeping). However, Deen didn't restrict herself completely and eventually re-introduced her favorite foods back in moderation. The former "Paula's Home Cooking" host also used her expertise to find more nutrient-dense swaps for calorie-dense ingredients that made her healthy meals more exciting. Meanwhile, in her 2013 People interview, she shared that she filled her plate with vegetables and limited her carbs to the bare minimum. However, once a week, Deen ate whatever her heart desired. 

Likewise, the famous chef made room for one of her favorites, fried chicken, at least once a month too. Deen also satisfied her sweet tooth with some sugar-free ice cream, which she topped with an assortment of berries. As for exercise, she tried to get in a 30-minute walk daily. As reported by ABC News, Deen didn't naturally gravitate towards "diet" varieties of her favorite ingredients, reasoning, "I would rather use the real stuff and have my food taste good and just have a little bit of it than having a whole lot of diet food." At the end of the day, lifestyle changes are just one of the many ways in which celebrity chefs stay in shape.