Paula Deen Issues Video Apology Regarding Past Use Of Racial Slurs
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Hours after Paula Deen issued a statement Friday apologizing for her past use of racial slurs, Food Network announced it was not renewing her contract.
A Food Network spokesman said, "Food Network will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it expires at the end of this month."
The celebrity cook and television personality was in New York on Friday, where she recorded an apology that later appeared on YouTube in connection with her admitted past use of the "N-word."
In the video statement, Deen said, "I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I've done. I want to learn and grow from this. Inappropriate, hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable."
"I've made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I beg you, my children, my team, my fans, my partners -- I beg for your forgiveness. Please forgive me for the mistakes that I've made."
As CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez reported Friday night, New Yorkers didn't really seem too impressed with the apology.
"What she did was wrong," one person said.
"No matter how much time passes, it hurts. It hurts when my people say it. It hurts when you hear someone else say it. It's not nice," Flatbush resident Willie Mae Brown said of the "N-word."
Others defended Food Network, saying it did what it had to do.
"They've gotta save face. They've gotta keep their audience alive. They want you to come back. They can't seem like they're condoning racism," Upper West Side resident James Stell said.
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