Paula Deen is defending herself after a deposition surfaced revealing the southern celebrity chef’s use of the ‘n-word.’
News of Deen’s racial slur dropping came to light this week after The National Enquirer published pieces of her court deposition while fighting former employee Lisa Jackson, who sued Deen and her company for discrimination.
Deen’s people have since released a statement to TMZ saying, “During a deposition where she swore to tell the truth, Ms. Deen recounted having used a racial epithet in the past, speaking largely about a time in American history which was quite different than today."
"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,” the statement continues. "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."
TMZ points out that the referred ‘time’ was 1986.
Image: CBS