Media insiders were buzzing yesterday over rumors that Paula Deen has hired Judy Smith — the inspiration for Kerry Washington’s character on ABC’s series “Scandal” — as her crisis p.r. guru. The scandal-plagued Southern chef, who was canned by the Food Network, irked Matt Lauer by bailing on a “Today” interview Friday, then released two excruciating apology videos and rescheduled the chat for this morning. A guessing game’s going on among p.r. insiders over who would help Deen’s image-saving campaign. Page Six recently reported that Star Jones said of Smith: “I’ve got her number on speed dial . . . If I listened to her advice more often, I wouldn’t have gotten into half the trouble I’m in.”