Logo

Bad Day for Paula Deen: Now Food Network Says It’s Dropping Her. In Deposition Released Earlier This Week Deen Said She ‘Tolerated Racist Jokes and Condoned Pornography in the Workplace,’ Report Says

Jun 21, 2013  •  Post A Comment

"Paula Deen, the self-proclaimed queen of Southern cooking and a sugary mainstay of the Food Network, was dropped by the network on Friday, following a bewildering day in which she failed to show up for an interview on the ‘Today’ show and then in two online videos begged her family and audience for forgiveness for using racist language," writes Julia Molskin at the website of The New York Times

A Food Network spokeswoman told the Times that the network would not renew Deen’s contract when it expires in nine days, at the end of June.

Adds the Times, "Deen has faced a volley of criticism this week over her remarks in a deposition for a discrimination lawsuit by a former employee. In the document, she admitted she had used racial epithets, tolerated racist jokes and condoned pornography in the workplace."

The story continues, "In her first video on Friday, posted on YouTube and later removed, Ms. Deen, near tears, said: ‘I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I’ve done. I want to learn and grow from this. Inappropriate and hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable.’

"In a longer video posted later in the afternoon, Ms. Deen appeared more composed. ‘Your color of your skin, your religion, your sexual preference does not matter,’ she said, adding, ‘I was wrong, yes, I’ve worked hard, and I have made mistakes but that is no excuse and I offer my sincere apology to those that I have hurt, and I hope that you forgive me because this comes from the deepest part of my heart.’ "

Also, asTVWeek previously reported today, Deen was supposed to be on the "Today" show this morning, but was a no-show, which upset "Today" co-host Matt Lauer.

12 Comments

  1. That’s OK Paula. You said you were sorry, and there is not a person out there that hasn’t done the same thing you have.
    I hope you land another T.V. show soon. I will never watch the stupid Food Network again.

  2. Right on Red rover! Sorry only means something when you are a liberal. You go girl! (Paula)

  3. No, everyone out there has not done the same thing as Paula Deen. All people are not racists. I applaud the Food Network, for its just decision. I’ve never watched that network, but, to support them, I may start.

  4. IT IS ABOUT TIME!!!

  5. You sanctimonious hypocrite! Paula Deen is not a racist. She has had people of all races on her show and treated them with respect. The Food Net will go on, but it’s lost it’s real star, which will come back and do better than ever.

  6. People can appear to be very nice on TV. It’s when they’re off the air, that their true feelings come out.

  7. Well, I’m not a fan of racism, ignorance, cruelty to any human beings or animals for that matter. However, all humans make mistakes, whether small or large, everyone, sometime in their lifetime will inevitably make a mistake that will change their lives in one way or another, but as long as those who make mistakes sincerely regret their wrongs & strive to do better in the future, I think people should give those who have made mistakes at least a second chance. In the end, no one is perfect. Before we all die, surely you will regret one thing that you’ve done in your lifetime. People just need to exercise more compassion & empathy before their final last days on earth. With that said, the Food Network has every right to not renew Paula if they don’t want to. Perhaps they weren’t going to renew with or without this recent incident anyways. Paula had a great running and that’s more than most people can wish for in a lifetime. Or who knows, maybe even the Food Network will regret their decision too in the future. Everything happens for a reason they say, so let’s just all hope it’s all for the best… Peace! Good luck to Food Network & Paula both!

  8. I see the right-wing bigot brigade is springing into action. Don’t worry, goober, your heroine will probably land a gig on Fox News soon. She’ll fit right in there, and they have a habit of giving jobs to disgraced right-wing personalities.

  9. Bad week for racists. Paula Deen gone, some political loser in Illinois gone and all is good in the neighborhood.
    Food Network had no choice. Bad for business, not what a conservative broadcast company needs. Give Food Network a standing ovation. They made the right, long term business decision to remove this racist and her hillbilly brother Bubba from their network.
    These racist should make most people puke but there are serious concerns about most people.

  10. Paula forgets that half-assed apologies only work for polititians. And, since she didn’t run off with someone to have an affair and abdicate all her responsibilities without notice, plus she forgot to ask God for forgiveness …she’s toast.

  11. It’s interesting to read the comments by all the sanctimonious people that want to crucify Paula Deen. Good thing none of these people were around when Christ said that whoever was without sin should cast the first stone. That woman would have been so dead.

  12. I find it interesting that many people who invoke the “throw the first stone” bit in defense of someone like Paula Deen seem to forget that story as soon as the subject is someone with different political or social views.
    Yes, she needs the public beat-down and it could even be good in the end for all involved. She endures all of the attacks & ridicule for a period of time, then stage a ‘comeback’, possibly even with the very channel that fired her to great ratings.

Leave a Reply to akaKJB Cancel Reply

Email (will not be published)