Paula Deen is ending a lengthy hiatus by returning to cable TV with a new show called Paula Deen’s Kitchen. The former Food Network star, who was dropped faster than a hot, buttered biscuit for admitting she’d used the N-word, will soon debut her new show on Evine Line–previously known as ShopHQ. Paula Deen’s Kitchen premieres Wednesday with a three-hour show.
It’s been 22 months since Deen was ostracized for her racially offensive talk. Since then her media appearances have involved mostly apologies and admissions of guilt. There was one exception, however, and that’s when Paula Deen made a red-carpet appearance during Evine’s live broadcast from The Plaza Hotel on Valentine’s weekend.
In addition to losing her contract with the Food Network, Paula Deen also saw millions of dollars in endorsement contracts and publishing deals slashed, including Ballantine Books, Caesars Entertainment, Home Depot and Walmart.
The NY Post reports that the controversy about Deen erupted from a lawsuit–filed in March 2012 by a former employee of the celebrity chef and restaurant owner–that charged Paula Deen and her brother with sexual harassment and racially offensive talk.
.@Paula_Deen is cooking up a comeback with new show: http://t.co/TIpvPGSuBC pic.twitter.com/MiLYmyxoh0
— The Root (@TheRoot) March 24, 2015
In June of 2013, former President Jimmy Carter came to the defense of Paula Deen, saying she had been punished more than enough.
President Carter said Paula Deen was “punished–perhaps overly severely–for her honesty in admitting it and for the use of the word in the distant past.”
Evine CEO Mark Bozek recently appeared on Bloomberg TV and echoed Carter’s sentiments.
“Everybody makes mistakes,” he said, adding that Paula Deen “has a good soul” and “a huge fan base.”
Do you think Paula Deen’s Kitchen will gain back many of the viewers who watched the southern cook prior to this scandal? Will Paula Deen forever be associated with her use of the N-word?