Paula Deen Puts Mansion Up For Sale: Celebrity Chef Bounces Back After Scandal In A Big Way

Paula Deen has her mansion in Georgia up for sale, and she wants a lot of money from the person that wants to call the property their new home. According to E! Online, Deen wants $12.5 million for the property located in Savannah.

That might seem like a lot of money, but the property has a lot to offer. In fact, Deen described the home and its surrounding property as a “private resort.” The property consists of 5.5 acres, and it is located inside a private gated community.

That is not all either. E! Online described the property in detail.

“The property features a custom-built French Caribbean style home with two guest cottages, a charming dock house and a barn. And did we mention all the properties rest on 5.5 acres in a private, gated community? Yes, this place is big! The main house is approximately 14,500 square-foot and perfect for someone who loves cooking and entertaining. Outdoors, residents can enjoy a pool with a dive-in movie theatre. If it’s too cold to swim, there’s also the option to heat up the outdoor kitchen featuring three grills, one smoker, one electric oven, four refrigerators, an icemaker and a sink.”

The barn is not just any old barn either. It is a 10,000 square foot building with three bedrooms and an eight-car garage.

Paula Deen does not plan to leave Savannah, Georgia. She is looking for another property to call home and to renovate. However, she is also looking at buying a second home in New York City, according to a source close to her.

Deen has been quite busy in recent weeks. She opened a new restaurant in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen opened its doors on April 27. The area is home to the Dollywood Theme Park and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Today marks the opening of @Paula_Deen‘s Family Kitchen at @TheIslandPF! http://t.co/ULjR6bAkPu pic.twitter.com/Dp4kocb1dP

— Pigeon Forge, TN (@My_PigeonForge) April 27, 2015

According to Business Wire, Deen spoke about the restaurant before its opening last month.

“Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen is filled with love and mouthwatering flavors. I can hardly wait to bring some of my favorite Southern dishes from my Savannah restaurant, The Lady & Sons, to the Great Smoky Mountains. We are going to serve our meals family style, with big ol’ bowls on the table, heaping full of fried chicken, collards, fried okra, corn and sweet potatoes. Plus, it’s a bonus to be Dollywood’s neighbor!”

The location is 20,000 square feet, and it is home to both the restaurant and the Paula Deen Store, which was built to be a replica of Deen’s home. Inside the restaurant, customers will find 300 seats.

Before the big opening, Deen visited the location to help train the staff. She wanted them to learn how to cook the restaurant’s menu her way, according to WBIR. She also spoke about giving back to the community surrounding the restaurant.

“We have supplied them with all the recipes — and please follow our recipes — and they’ve all been very good at that. They all understand that whether you’re in Savannah or in Pigeon Forge, I want the food to be identical. I want you to get what you’re expecting. I want to give back, and we have made donations. The Bag Lady Foundation has supported the Boys Club here, the Boys and Girls Club. So we hope to help do good things for this community.”

Deen has been at the center of controversy in recent years, but she has bounced back. In recent months, the celebrity chef has lost 35 pounds. That was not easy for her, but she went in with a clear plan in mind. A chef known for cooking southern recipes, she knew she had to cut out plenty of foods that she loved.

According to a previous Inquisitr report, she spoke about her weight loss with Dr. Oz.

“I went home to my kitchen and I threw out everything that was white: White bread, white rice, white potatoes, white pasta. I did that for four months, y’all! Just four months. My son Bobby introduced me to yogurt. It’s got that same richness and consistency that you get from mayonnaise. But a lot, lot better for you. You can switch it out with yogurt, anything that calls for that kind of creaminess.”

With the new restaurant, a new video game, and this huge real estate transaction, it is clear that Deen has managed to work her way back to the top after the controversy that caused her to lose endorsements in recent years.

What do you think of the amount that Paula Deen is asking for her mansion?

[Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images]