Paula Deen’s sons were so distraught over her decision to plug a $500-a-month diabetes drug, they nearly bolted from the family management to strike out on their own. 
 
 Paula’s sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen, were upset over her deal to hawk Novo Nordisk’s Victoza because she was already taking a different diabetes medicine and responding well to it, sources told us. They said the sons “were worried about her health and didn’t want her to switch drugs. She had been taking a different drug for a while, and was doing very well.” They didn’t see any reason to change that. However, she appears to be doing equally well on the new treatment.” 
 
 Deen was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes three years ago, but continued dishing up her notoriously fatty foods on her show until her Jan. 17 revelation that she was diabetic and would now be plugging Victoza. 
 
 We revealed this week that it prompted Deen’s longtime publicist, Nancy Assuncao, to quit. But the drug deal — put together by Deen’s agent, Barry Weiner, who heads up Artists Agency — also infuriated her sons, who are repped by the same agency. Bobby, 41, hosts the Cooking Channel’s “Not My Mama’s Meals” and Jamie, 44, launched The Lady and Sons restaurant in Savannah, Ga. He has a deal with the Food Network for a new show. 
 
 Another source said, “Jamie and Bobby were so upset when the deal was being put together in October, they wanted to jump ship from Artists and the people behind the deal with Novo Nordisk. They were in a panic, and set up a meeting with William Morris Endeavour.” 
 
 But the source said Paula “put them both under a lot of pressure and managed to persuade them to stay on with the family management. They canceled the WME meeting 24 hours beforehand.” 
 
 Paula refuses to say what medicine she took previously. She was spotted in recent days chomping on a cheeseburger aboard a Caribbean cruise with fans. Reps for Deen, her sons and for Artists Agency didn’t get back to us. ||||| Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) 
 
 Paula Deen’s longtime powerhouse publicist, Nancy Assuncao, has quit after six years over the butter-loving chef’s plan to plug a diabetes drug. 
 
 Assuncao faithfully stuck with Deen through years of hearty drama, including her battle with rival chef Anthony Bourdain, who called her “the most dangerous woman in America.” But she quit as Deen’s spokeswoman and chief marketer last month as Deen negotiated her deal to hawk the drug Victoza. 
 
 Deen, now under siege by diabetics, nutritionists and fellow chefs for keeping her own Type 2 diabetes secret for three years, even as she pushed recipes full of sugar and fat, probably could use Assuncao’s help now. Deen only revealed her diagnosis last week. 
 
 A source said Assuncao “strongly disagreed with Deen’s dramatic turnabout, after years of promoting fatty foods, to announcing she has a deal with a diabetes drug company [Novo Nordisk] and will be promoting lighter food and ‘diabetes in a new light.’ 
 
 “While Paula did tell some people at her live appearances about her diabetes, she certainly didn’t talk about it on her show. Nancy disagreed with Paula’s plan to be a drug-company spokesman and challenged her decision. But this wasn’t a battle Nancy felt she was going to win. She couldn’t be part of it.” 
 
 Assuncao, whose past clients have included Ian Schrager, told us last night, “I’m very grateful for the six years that I worked with Paula in helping her build the Deen brand. 
 
 “Although we had a great deal of fun along the way, I could not agree with the new business strategy going forward. Nonetheless, I wish them continued success.” 
 
 Deen’s new rep could not be reached last night, with a staffer at her office telling us, “She is on the Paula Deen cruise.” The chef’s Web site said Celebrity Cruises’ Eclipse would be a “tasty journey” in the Caribbean with a group buffet dinner, a cooking demo and a personal photo with Deen (one per family).
– Paula Deen, that bastion of moderation and recent convert to the church of Novo Nordisk after her not-so-recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, has a memoir out. Well, an Oprah-version of a memoir. Winfrey's magazine asks various celebs and non-celebs to succinctly sum up their lives in a "six-word memoir" in its February issue. Deen participated, and now's your chance to guess how her version reads. A Little Salad Wouldn't Kill You? Or maybe Sorry, America, for Glorifying Fatty Food? No. Deen's six-word take on life is: Might as Well Eat That Cookie. Nemesis Anthony Bourdain still isn't impressed with Deen's antics, notes TMZ, tweeting, "Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later." Click for more on Deen.