Paula Deen Scores Neighbor's Home With 'Playboy' Agreement

Paula Deen and Playboy have more in common than you'd like to think because the celebrity chef cut a real estate deal with one of her former neighbors that mirrors an agreement Hugh Hefner made before he died.

The Blast obtained an affidavit filed by Deen in Georgia; she claims herself and husband Michael Groover hatched a deal with their then neighbor Madeline Hollingsworth in 2004 to purchase her property for an undisclosed amount. Deen says as part of the purchase, Hollingsworth was allowed "to reside at the property for as long as she lived."

TheBlast.com

92-year-old Hollingsworth died earlier this year ... so Paula assumed control of the modest 3-bed, 2-bath home in Savannah and recently had it deeded over to her company. The home is located on Dogwood Ave, which is also the namesake for one of Deen's home furnishing collections.

Now for the Playboy connection -- Hugh Hefner famously deeded over the Playboy Mansion to Daren Metropoulos for $100 million, with the caveat that he got to live in the residence until his death earlier this year.

It's unclear what Deen plans to use the property for, but unlike the Playboy Mansion, we can bet there won't be any lavish parties in the near future.

Also interesting, Hollingsworth was very outspoken against Deen and her husband years ago for disrupting their quaint Savannah neighborhood when the chef became famous, so this could have been a case of ... if you can't beat 'em, pay 'em.

TheBlast.com