Paula Deen
America's grandmother from the South, who captured television viewers' hearts with her southern drawl and infamous one liner hey ya'll -- has truly bitten off more butter than she can chew!
Food Network favorite Paula Deen has the Internet abuzz, over her controversial use of the "N" word. Published passages from a video deposition printed in the National Enquirer, showed Paula admitting to using the "N" word while making racist jokes.
According to The Huffington Post, the deposition was held on May 17 as part of a court case brought forth by former Paula Deen Enterprises employee Lisa Jackson, against Deen and her brother Earl “Bubba” Hiers. In the suit Lisa claimed there were several instances of sexual and racial workplace discrimination.
For example: Lisa was asked to plan a wedding for Paula's son Bubba. Lisa claims Paula said she wanted to do a slave style wedding. In Paula's words, "I want a true Southern-plantation style wedding. Well what I would really like is a bunch of little niggers to wear long-sleeve white shirts, black shorts and black bow ties, you know in the Shirley Temple days, they used to tap dance around. Now that would be a true Southern wedding wouldn't it?"
The deposition goes on to claim that black workers at 'Uncle Bubba's Restaurant', were required to use the back entrance to pick up their checks and were all required to use the same bathroom at the back of the restaurant; white employees could use the customer's restrooms. Black employees that worked in the back of the restaurant weren't allowed in the front of the eatery.
Lisa proceeded in quoting Deens' brother Bubba as saying things like, "I wish I could put all those n****** (in the kitchen) on a boat back to Africa," and allegedly, "They should send President Obama to the oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico so he could n*****-rig it."
Below are direct passages from the interview with Paula Deen and attorneys on her usage of the "N" word:
Lawyer: Have you ever used the N-word yourself?
Deen: Yes, of course.
Lawyer: Okay. In what context?
Deen: Well, it was probably when a black man burst into the bank that I was working at and put a gun to my head.
Lawyer: Okay. And what did you say?
Deen: Well, I don't remember, but the gun was dancing all around my temple ... I didn't -- I didn't feel real favorable towards him.
Lawyer: Okay. Well, did you use the N-word to him as he pointed a gun in your head at your face?
Deen: Absolutely not.
Lawyer: Well, then, when did you use it?
Deen: Probably in telling my husband.
On Deens' brothers behavior:
Lawyer: Are you aware of Mr. Hiers admitting that he engaged in racially and sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace?
Deen: I guess.
Lawyer: Okay. Well, have you done anything about what you heard him admit to doing?
Deen: My brother and I have had conversations. My brother is not a bad person. Do humans behave inappropriately? At times, yes. I don't know one person that has not. My brother is a good man. Have we told jokes? Have we said things that we should not have said, that -- yes, we all have. We all have done that, every one of us.
In a carefully worded statement Deens' attorney defended her honor:
"Contrary to media reports, Ms. Deen does not condone or find the use of racial epithets acceptable. She is looking forward to her day in court."
Kudos to Lisa Jackson, for being courageous enough to stand up for what is morally correct.
Read the FULL deposition here.
2013 LA