Paula Deen’s two grown sons Bobby and Jamie have come to their mother’s defense in the wake of the scandal surrounding the famous chef’s use of the N-word.
Bobby and Jamie told CNN on the “New Day” program that their mother is “one of the most compassionate, good-hearted, empathetic people that you'd ever meet. These accusations are very hurtful to her, and it's very sad."
"I'm disgusted by the entire thing, because it began as extortion and it has become character assassination," Bobby Deen said, emphasizing that the scandal has unjustly portrayed Deen as a hateful bigot.
"Neither one of our parents ever taught us to be bigoted toward any other person for any reason," he asserted, as reported by People Magazine .
Though Deen’s contract with the Food Network and endorsement deal with Smithfield pork are casualties of her admission to using racial slurs in a legal deposition, both of her son’s cooking shows, Not My Momma’s Meals with Bobby and Home for Dinner with Jamie Deen, are not in danger.
"[It's] ridiculous – completely absurd – to think there is an environment of racism in our business, and it's really disrespectful to the people that we work with," said Jamie. "We have strong, educated men and women of character that have been with us for five, 10, 15, 20 years. To think they would allow themselves to be in this position is simply baloney. It's ridiculous."
To watch Bobby and Jamie's interview with CNN, check out the video below.
Image: NBC