VIDEOS Paula Deen apologizes for deleted apology video and stiffing Matt Lauer
Paula Deen was a no-show for a scheduled appearance on Today in which she was expected to discuss the reports about her using racial slurs.
Instead of talking with Matt Lauer, the Food Network star* made an awkward and edited video published via YouTube which has since been made private and then removed. In only 47 seconds Deen managed to fumble through a strange attempt at an apology.
*It looks like Deen has been fired from Food Network!
Here is the clip in full posted by another YouTube user:
And here is the transcript in full:
I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I’ve done. I want to learn and grow from this…inappropriate and 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.
Another video was posted by Paula apologizing to Matt for not apologizing on his show (good grief):
In that clip she said she was physically unable to appear on Today.
UPDATE: Insane – there is now a 3rd apology video that is kind of a shortened version of her 2nd clip…
The combination of backing out on Today and this posted, made private and then deleted clip, followed by the next clip equals a full-blown publicity nightmare for Deen — no doubt about it.