Paula Deen may have put her foot in her mouth yet again.
Although, her comment was relatively innocent, the delivery has definitely raised eyebrows as some people just aren’t too thrilled with her slightly awkward connotation.
On Wed., Feb. 26, the 67-year-old celebrity chef and cooking show television host spoke exclusively with People Magazine. During the interview she gave fans a verbal depiction of what her life was like during last summer’s scandal.
The publication reports that Deen admitted that some days were much more difficult than others as she barely had the strength to “get out of bed.”
“When I woke up each morning, it was like my world was crashing down again,” she admitted. While most of the interview centered around her life during and after the racially-charged scandal, the problem came when the Georgia native opted to give an example to express her sentiments.
“I feel like ’embattled’ or ‘disgraced’ will always follow my name,” she expressed. “It’s like that black football player who recently came out,” Deen said in reference to the former University of Missouri football star and NFL prospect, Michael Sam. “He (Sam) said, ‘I just want to be known as a football player. I don’t want to be known as a gay football player.’ I know exactly what he’s saying.”
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Given Deen’s 2013 scandal was centered around accusations of her using the N-word, the example she used to get her point across definitely didn’t help things. As a matter of fact, comparing herself to Sam may have actually made things just a bit worse. Regardless of whether her insinuation was innocent or otherwise, a number of people took to Twitter to express their disdain of Deen’s remarks.
Seriously Paula? RT @CNNshowbiz: Paula Deen feels like ‘that black,’ gay football player http://t.co/p6NYwKxyFO
— Harry Anani Itie (@HarryItie) February 27, 2014
Every time Paula Deen says something racist an angel gets diabetes — Randi Lawson (@RandiLawson) February 28, 2014
@TMZ @Paula_Deen enough is enough!!! Make a superglue pie to fill that trap of yours!!!
— ViViLoVeSy0u (@ViVi_N90) February 28, 2014
But, nevertheless, she credited her fans’ support for getting her through the rough patch. “If it wasn’t for my fans’ love, I’d be home breathing into a paper bag,” Deen says. “When I woke up each morning, it was like my world was crashing down again. … I’m fighting to get my name back.”
Although Deen recently secured a $75 million dollar private equity deal, her comeback may still have a few areas that need improvement. With her latest remarks, it looks like she’ll just have to continue to press forward, because the fight doesn’t appear to be over just yet.
Image via Paula Deen, Facebook
Image via Paula Deen, Facebook