Report: Paula Deen admits using N-word, telling racist jokes
“Saturday Night Live” alumnus Will Forte stops off at the Cinefamily Theatre in Los Angeles as he promotes his new movie, “Nebraska,” with with Bruce Dern.
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)Hugh Hefner, who founded Playboy in 1953 and turned it into a multimedia empire, remains the magazine’s editor in chief.
(Liz O. Baylen/Los Angeles Times)Actor Vin Diesel is the producer and star of the sci-fi thriller “Riddick.”
(Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times)Director Guillermo del Toro, in the mixing studio at Warner Bros. in Burbank, has a new movie coming out called “Pacific Rim,” a shot of which is on in the background, about an alien attack threatening the Earth’s existence. Giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)Looks like Paula Deen has cooked up another mess for herself.
In a videotaped deposition, the celebrity chef has reportedly admitted openly making racist jokes and slurs. She even confirmed that she wanted to costume black waitstaff as slaves at a wedding party she was overseeing.
“Yes, of course,” Deen replied when asked if she had used the N-word openly.
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“I can’t determine what offends another person,” Deen added, according to the report in the National Enquirer.
The admission came last month amid a lawsuit filed by Lisa Jackson, who once managed a Savannah, Ga., restaurant owned by Deen and her brother.
In a brief, carefully worded statement Wednesday, Deen’s lawyer defended his client without denying the reported remarks.
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“Contrary to media reports, Ms. Deen does not condone or find the use of racial epithets acceptable,” Bill Franklin of the Savannah law firm Oliver Maner wrote. “She is looking forward to her day in court.”
Deen, host of “Paula’s Home Cooking” and other shows on Food Network, has become one of the most controversial figures on reality TV. She’s been attacked for promoting food with unhealthy ingredients. Last year, she revealed she suffers from Type 2 diabetes, which doctors say is associated with high-calorie diets. Her revelation became part of the ongoing national debate over healthy eating habits and weight control.
What do you think of Deen’s latest tempest?
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Twitter: @scottcollinsLAT
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Scott Collins is a former staff reporter for the Calendar section of the Los Angeles Times. He joined the staff in 2004 after previous stints at the Hollywood Reporter and Inside.com. Author of the book “Crazy Like a Fox: The Inside Story of How Fox News Beat CNN,” he is a frequent pop-culture expert on national TV, radio shows and industry panels. He left The Times in 2016.