Celebrity News

Paula Deen allegedly admits in deposition to using N-word

Paula Deen allegedly admitted in a recorded deposition to telling racially insensitive jokes and using the n-word.

The National Enquirer obtained the May 17 deposition in which the 66-year-old celebrity chef made the alleged admissions. (The PDF of the depo can be seen here.)

Deen was questioned in a $1.2 million lawsuit brought by Lisa Jackson, the former manager of a Savannah, Georgia restaurant, Uncle Bubba’s Seafood and Oyster House, ran by Deen and her brother Earl “Bubba” Hiers.

Jackson alleges in the suit that Deen used the n-word at the restaurant and that Hiers harassed her both sexually and racially.

According to the Enquirer, in the deposition, Deen replied “Yes, of course,” when asked if she used the n-word.

Deen also reportedly admitted telling racist jokes, explaining: “It’s just what they are — they’re jokes…most jokes are about Jewish people, rednecks, black folks…I can’t determine what offends another person.”

Jackson said also Deen wanted African American employees to act like slaves for a big wedding she was planning. Deen explained she got the idea from a restaurant where “the whole entire waiter staff was middle-aged black men, and they had on beautiful white jackets with a black bow tie,” the Enquirer reports.

The magazine also quoted the Emmy-winning Food Network star as saying: “I mean, it was really impressive. That restaurant represented a certain era in America…after the Civil War, during the Civil War, before the Civil War…It was not only black men, it was black women…I would say they were slaves.”

Her brother Bubba also admitted to referring to President Obama with the n-word, the report claims.

Deen’s rep issued a statement to TMZ: “Ms. Deen does not condone or find the use of racial epithets acceptable. She is looking forward to her day in court.”

Twitter has already responded to the report with the trending hashtag #PaulasBestDishes that riffs on Deen’s TV show, “Paula’s Best Dishes.”

Jokesters, for example play on racist recipes like, “#PaulasBestDishes Separate But Equal Light & Dark Meat” and “3/5ths of a flan #PaulasBestDishes”