Paula Deen appeared in the studio Wednesday morning in an exclusive interview with Matt Lauer.
No one expected redemption, but for Paula Deen, Wednesday was supposed to at least be a day of clarification. Paula Deen clarified her usage of the N-word on TV Wednesday, denying that she ever used it outside of an instance when she was held at gunpoint.
Paula Deen appeared extremely distressed at times, but was also adamant about her personal views and ethics. "I know my love for people, and im not going to sit here and tell everything I've done for people of color," she states. "I would never hurt anyone on purpose."
Wal-Mart and Caesars Entertainment are the latest companies to drop Paula Deen after she admitted to using a racial slur in the past. Previously, the Food Network announced that her contract would not be renewed, and Smithfield Foods, a pork producer who services Deen’s restaurants, followed suit a few days later.)
The controversy was sparked by a lawsuit filed by a former employee at Deen’s Savannah, Ga., restaurants, who claimed racial and sexual harassment by Deen and her brother, Bubba Hier, while working for them.
