The publication of Paula Deen's upcoming cookbook, currently the best-selling book on Amazon.com, has been cancelled, Ballantine Books announced in a "brief statement" Friday. Paula Deen's New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up was scheduled to be released on Oct. 15.
Deen's supporters, who leave messages of encouragement instead of reviews on her books, have been helping her cookbooks climb to the top of the website's bestseller list.
Ballantine Books is the latest in a series of sponsors to distance themselves from Deen. In the last week, she or her products have been dropped by J.C. Penney Co., diabetes drug company Novo Nordisk, Target, Walmart, Caesars Entertainment, Home Depot, Sears, Smithfield, and the Food Network.
Neither Ballantine Books nor its parent company Random House could be reached for comment.