In the wake of Paula Deen’s “n-word” controversy, the troubled Food Network star has bailed on her scheduled Today Show appearance on Friday.

The NBC broadcast has been promoting a live interview with the celebrity chef all week, but co-anchor Matt Lauer announced at the beginning of the show that Deen would not be honoring her commitment.

"We just found out she's a no-show," he told viewers, USA Today reports.

Lauer had even spoken to her when she landed in New York last night, but he said he did not speak to her this morning and that her rep claimed the reason she was canceling is because she was “exhausted.”

On Twitter, Lauer called the situation “very confusing,” saying “Hoping to get more info on the Paula Deen situation soon.”

Her camp has defended her use of the racial slur in a statement saying “[Paula] was born 60 years ago when America's South had schools that were segregated, different bathrooms, different restaurants and Americans rode in different parts of the bus. This is not today. To be clear Ms. Deen does not find acceptable the use of this term under any circumstance by anyone nor condone any form of racism or discrimination.”

image: NBC