PureDWTS Season 21 Late-Breaking Casting Rumors: Paula Deen & Chaka Khan???
In what is quickly becoming one of those days where the leaks and info and breaking fast & loose, E! News is reporting that controversial former Food Network chef Paula Deen and R&B legend Chaka Khan are part of this season’s cast. See more below and at the link:
Controversial celebrity chef Paula Deen is joining the cast of Dancing With the Stars, multiple sources exclusively tell E! News.
Our sources also exclusively tell us that Grammy-winning music icon Chaka Khan, aka the Queen of Funk, will also be competing in season 21 when it premieres on Sept. 14. ABC does not comment on casting rumors.
As with many other celebs, this isn’t the first time Paula has been asked – she apparently first got asked back in 2010, but turned them down as “fat girls don’t look good sweating”. Our own records have her popping up as a rumor in multiple seasons. Say what you will about Paula, but I love her – she reminds me of my dearly departed southern Grammy, and while her food will land you in an early grave if you eat it all the time…man, is it good. 🙂
As for Chaka – I’m gonna call her “Keo bait” cause she seems like exactly the type of celeb they dream of sticking him with.
What are your thoughts?
I’m all for Chaka Khan! I can already see her grooving to “I’m Every Woman.” If Paula is going to be confirmed to be on this season, I guess she’s going to be the controversial celeb? I may be wrong, but the last one was Andy Dick.
Thanks for this post, Courtney! Loving all the tidbits I read here.
Paula’s got Artem or Tony written all over her.
Wow, Chaka Khan, I couldn’t be more pleased. Awww remembering the disco days. My fave fave song. Oh, I hope this song is performed on the show….
I think Chaka Khan is amazing. This is shaping up to be a great season.
If they can get Paula and Chaka I am all for it. I personally like Paula and it’s been awhile since her issue. I have the image of her and artem as a pairing for some reason.
I don’t usually say this but I’m loving this cast if it ends up like this. A little for everyone. I’m really hoping what shatner posted is a sign too becuase that would make my life.
If Chaka Khan can still move, she might be a partner Keo can actually make it past Week 3 with. When you’re not a particularly good teacher/choreographer, having a partner who’s musical and knows how to move her body should be a huge advantage. Having someone with “star quality” will help in the performance side too. So if I were Keo, I’d check my “I’m the teach, you do what I tell you” ego at the door and let Ms. Khan drive the bus.
If Paula Deen has finally signed up for the show, I wonder what the motivation is — money, trying to repair her image, or both? Guess I’ll take a wait and see attitude towards her.
She won’t have enough time to prepare her image Cidra, she’ll be gone by week two haha
or should I say repair (damn autocorrect)
Could be M8, could be. It will be interesting to see if her fans rally to vote for her or if they’ll look the other way.
Does she have many fans in the US Cidra? I can’t imagine many people supporting her after her past comments. I certainly wouldn’t vote for her.
Chaka Khan on the other hand is a legend. Just like Gladys and Patti I’m sure she’ll stick around for a few weeks.
It would really be entertaining if Paula got Val..just saying
@Robelyn My first thought when I saw Paula’s name was “GIVE HER TO VAL”. Lol
That would be the challenge Val needs, in my opinion.
Do I think it’s gonna happen? Most likely not. TPTB can’t give baby Chmerkovskiy someone who most likely does not have a shot at winning. It’d be a sin.
As I said to Courtney in email, while I think Val is in desperate need of a different sort of partner, I don’t think it will happen because he’s touring for them. They can’t risk tarnishing him or exposing that he’s not the choreographer/teacher that his fans believe him to be.
I’m with you Vogue, that is one of my favorite songs – brings back some good memories. I’m really liking the cast so far.
I would love it if Val had Paula just so he would not have a ringer for once and actually have to work for it, but see Heidi’s point. No way DWTS will to risk exposing Val who he truly is.
I think Paula could get the conservative votes like Bristol Palin did.
Given Paula Deen’s controversy, part of me wonders if pairing her with Keo wouldn’t be just the kind of thing to try to repair her image. Not that I think it’s atonement and it kind of reeks of the “look I get along with black people” type of glossing over long-standing cultural racism, but I would not put it past them, either.
Ahh I see that Chaka and Keo are confirmed – at least the producers didn’t go that route!
The conservative votes will be going to Alexa I’m guessing.
I would love to see Val challenged with Paula Deen.
M8, I’m not sure how many fans Paula Deen has left, but it sure seemed like she was “all that and a feather boa” before her dirty linen fell out of the closet. If even half of her supporters remained loyal, that could be a sizable following. While you’d think she’d be a pariah now, I fear there are still a lot of parochial people in this country who try to explain away the use of racist language and blame activists and the radical media for stirring the pot.
She sounds like a right horror Cidra. I still won’t feel sorry for any male pro that gets her as they are earning a lot of money and should get on with their job whoever they get. Saying that I can’t see them lasting very long. Rob and gang just can’t resist a bit of controversy can they? #Sigh
My problem with Paula Deen is that she didn’t just say an isolated derogatory offhand remark about people of color, her behavior is indicative of long term, inherent racism. It’s deeply ingrained. Now, people can change and I do like to give people a second chance, so like Cidra, I’ll take a wait and see attitude towards her.
I would laugh my butt off if Val ends up being Deen’s partner. Especially after his “Baby, give me another one!” comment. He deserves a challenging partner for many reasons.
Keo better step up his game with Chakka Khan. She’s a music legend.
Agreed Susan, most racism doesn’t come in the form of the off-color insults, but rather the behavior she exhibited over many years.
If she tries to explain away her racism as a bad choice of words or judgement, and took her mighty fall for that, for me that’s not exhibiting true cultural awareness and change.
People can learn and change and grow, so I’m always willing to accept that. I love redemption when it’s earned and genuine, so I’ll approach her with an open mind.
That being said, I was never crazy about her schtick anyway, but I imagine that she’ll have enough fan support to last at least a couple of weeks, and who knows – maybe she’ll Nancy Grace me (although I think Tristan had a big hand in that).
Racism is still rather pervasive in this country. I’ve never believed that the U.S. is in some sort of post-racial era where everyone is enlightened – don’t believe some politicians on that one. It’s just not so. Not making excuses for Paula – I’m not a fan – I’m just saying that she happened to get caught. But she’s not an exception, particularly in the south, sad to say. Especially not for her age.
Agreed, Heidi – I guess I’ve always cut Paula a bit of a break because she, like my grandmother, grew up in a time and place where racism, segregation, and use of the “n-word” were pretty commonplace…and while it’s not right, back then, it was such “the norm” that she got to a point where she probably didn’t even think about it before using it. I’ve never gotten the impression that Paula is malicious – ignorant and stupid, sure – but never really malicious. And yeah, she got caught – and I think if a lot of people from that time and place were put under a microscope like she has been, they would likely be exposed as well. Lord knows my sister and I had a helluva time trying to explain to Grammy in her later (less lucid) years that it wasn’t nice to refer to African Americans as “coloreds” or “Negroes” – and it just didn’t compute for her because that was the accepted, common terminology used circa 1950 in southern Tennessee. Not saying it was right – just saying it was a really different time and place.
I think the thing that always pissed me off more about Paula getting ostracized was the fact that people complained about her food being “unhealthy” – hell, I turn on Food Network these days and you’ve got Valerie Bertinelli dousing pasta in all kinds of heavy cream, Tiffani Thiessen frying everything in duck fat, and Trisha Yearwood adding bacon to everything. I don’t think any of them could be praised for being particularly health-conscious – and yet Paula was turned into the whipping girl for “unhealthy cuisine”. I can’t even recall the last chef they had on the Food Network that could really be considered “health conscious”…
Agreed, PH – all I have to do is go to look at my exhub’s grandma’s house in Mississippi, which is decorated in a “cotton-picker” theme from the wallpaper to the art and knick-knacks. It’s even worse than it sounds, but she thinks it’s “adorable”. She considers herself a religious, morally-upright citizen, but doesn’t hesitate to throw out the N-word when “it’s safe”. She’ll be sweet as pie to any minority she meets – unless they do something “wrong” in her eyes, then it’s because they are of whatever race, and she’ll complain about it to no end.
Product of her place and time? Sure, to a degree. But that doesn’t mean we can’t help them see why it’s wrong and the kind of damage and hurt that mentality causes. In Paula Deen’s case, the court of “social justice” dished out harsh punishment to prove the point that intolerance is not tolerated. 😛
But everyone loves a redemption story, so I’m sure curious to see how she comes across.