American celebrity chef Paula Deen, who was dropped by TV’s Food Network after she admitted in a lawsuit that she used a racial slur in the past, will appear on NBC-TV’s Today show on Wednesday after cancelling a scheduled interview last week.
The program’s anchor, Matt Lauer, said on Monday’s show that Deen “told us she will be here this time.” Deen, who withdrew from an interview on June 21, tweeted,
“See you Wednesday, I am so glad Matt, Al and my friends at @TodayShow are bringing me back.” The program did not say if Deen would address the controversy.
Meanwhile, Smithfield Foods is dropping the cooking show hostess as a spokeswoman.
The announcement came days after the Food Network said it would not renew Deen’s contract. Deen admitted using racial slurs in the past in a deposition that came to light last week in a discrimination lawsuit.
In a statement, Smithfield said it “condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behaviour of any kind.”
While questioned last month in a discrimination lawsuit, the 66-year-old Food Network star admitted to using the N-word in the past, but she insisted she and her family do not tolerate prejudice.
