Deen. Photo: Getty Images

And she’s apparently been trying to keep it a secret — until now. So reports the Daily, which says Deen “is about to come clean and confess that she can’t eat her own dishes anymore because she has diabetes.”

The National Enquirer reported the same story last spring, but now the Daily says Deen is poised to come out with the news because she’s worked out “a multimillion-dollar deal to be the spokeswoman for a pharmaceutical company” that will see her pushing the Novartis diabetes medication she takes.

Neither Deen, nor her team, is talking, but sources familiar with the situation confirm the diagnosis rumors for Grub Street. It makes sense: Deen made a mountain of money peddling her butter-soaked food, and now she’s poised to make even more dealing with the aftereffects.

Update: Paula confirms the news.

Paula’s big fat secret [Daily]

Earlier: Buttered Up: A Look at Paula Deen’s Financial Empire

Related: Jonah Hill Totally Dissed Paula Deen on TV