Queen of comfort food Paula Deen fired over racial slur
Paula Deen issues effusive apology for using 'N-word' but network tells her to go
The Food Network said is dropping celebrity chef Paula Deen after the Southern food doyenne was sued for racial discrimination and admitted in a legal deposition to using a racial slur in the past.
The impending loss of Deen's broadcast deal represents a potentially huge setback for a television personality who has built an empire on high-calorie food, with cookbooks and restaurants in her native Georgia and other states.
The Food Network said it "will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it expires at the end of this month".
The network said it "does not tolerate any form of discrimination and is a strong proponent of diversity and inclusion".
The network's decision to drop Deen was announced hours after she failed to make a scheduled appearance on the NBC television morning show Today to discuss the controversy. She later apologised on video that was posted online.
"I want to apologise to everybody for the wrong that I've done. I want to learn and grow from this," Deen said in one video posted on YouTube and other websites.