Paula Deen issues apology: ‘Please forgive me’ for mistakes

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In a 46-second video posted on YouTube Friday afternoon, Paula Deen offered up an apology for using “inappropriate, hurtful language.” This comes after she failed to show up for a scheduled interview on TODAY to discuss her admission that she’s used racial slurs in the past.

“I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I’ve done, and I want to learn and grow from this,” Deen says in the highly edited video. “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.”

The video was briefly changed to private after it was initially posted, but was quickly restored to being publicly watchable. Her apology didn’t specifically address any of the allegations made against her.

Things have recently gotten a bit uncomfortable for the queen of comfort cooking. Deen, currently mired in scandal after admitting use of racial slurs, particularly the N-word, was a no-show for an interview with Matt Lauer on TODAY Friday.

“We had arranged to do an interview with Paula Deen, it had been going on, the discussions about that interview, throughout the day yesterday with her people,” Lauer said in the show’s opening. “I spoke to her late afternoon on the phone yesterday and we talked about the fact that it would be an open and candid discussion, no holds barred.” Later, Lauer added, “She told me at one point… ‘I don’t know how to be anything but honest.’”

Lauer said the Savannah, Ga.-based Food Network star flew to New York last night for the interview, but that her team later said she was “exhausted.”

“And this morning, although we have not spoken to her — she has not called us — her publicity people have told us she’s exhausted and will not be showing up,” Lauer explained.

This is just the latest troubling incident for Deen, who made national headlines this week after details emerged from a May 17 deposition in which she admitted using racial slurs.

A lawsuit filed last year against her and her brother Bubba Hiers by Lisa Jackson, a former manager of a restaurant owned by the siblings, alleged that employees there faced a hostile work environment. Deen and Hiers deny wrongdoing, according to court records.

Jackson alleged that while Deen was planning her brother’s 2007 wedding, she said of the waitstaff, “Well what I would really like is a bunch of little [N-words] to wear long-sleeve white shirts, black shorts and black bow ties…now that would be a true Southern wedding, wouldn’t it?”

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