Paula Deen, I Got No Opinion on Kneeling, But My Husband's Disgusted

Paula Deen is an accomplished chef, so it's no surprise she knows how to handle a hot potato ... kneeling during the National Anthem.

We got Paula Friday night in WeHo leaving Craig's, and she clearly didn't want to go near the kneeling controversy, which was originally a Black Lives Matter protest. Paula was skewered a few years back after stories surfaced she had used the n word, so it's no surprise she zipped it.

She did, however, volunteer hubby Michael Groover was super upset over the protest.