Food Network Drops Paula Deen Following Racist Testimony and 'Cringeworthy' Apology

Paula Deen's life as she knows it has taken a hit. After her racist testimony came to light, the Food Network personality posted not one but three very strange apology videos, and then the network dropped her. A rep for the station told Eater National: "Food Network will not renew Paula Deen's contract when it expires at the end of this month," and they'd pulled her shows from the programming lineup by Saturday. Deen released a statement thanking fans; her former publicist called it "cringeworthy." She'll be appearing on the Today show on Wednesday for an exclusive interview; this follows the one she bailed on last week.

Fans and apologists have been taking to Facebook to stand up for Deen, but her Savannah restaurant, Lady & Sons, which normally has around-the-block lines, is a ghost town. Then the late-night show hosts got a hold of the debacle; here are the takes from Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon, the Daily Show's John Oliver, Bill Maher, and Deon Cole. And with great drama comes a great Twitter response: This ordeal also spawned hashtag memes like #PaulaDeenApologyBingo, #PaulasBestDishes, and #PaulaDeenTVShows.
· All Paula Deen Coverage [Eater National]