A consideration of public relations, marketing, and social media.

Paula Deen recently announced her Type 2 Diabetes and faced backlash from fans for her paid promotion of the diabetes medication, Victoza. Deen claimed she hadn’t gone public with her diagnosis in the three years she’d known about her condition because she “wanted to bring something to the table,” according to the Washington Post.

Fans expressed their outrage that Deen hadn’t come forward when she first received the diagnosis, which surprised Deen. Deen’s fellow chefs and colleagues remained silent, some speculate, because they didn’t want to become involved with the hypocrisy that now surrounds Deen.

Food Network learned out about Deen’s Type 2 Diabetes with the public on Jan. 17 from her announcement on NBC’s Today Show.

Deen was shocked by the backlash she received after her announcement. On Jan. 18 she pledged to donate an unspecified percentage of her pay as a spokeswoman to the American Diabetes Association. Whether the donations are in response to the backlash or not is unknown.

Deen’s image as a celebrity chef and credible TV personality are tarnished by the circumstances under which she announced her condition. By coming clean initially, Deen would have undoubted received the support she yearned for. Now Deen must work to rebuild her image and Novo Nordick, the maker of Victoza, must work to save their campaign.