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After a Friday in which Paula Deen was dropped by the Food Network and released videos apologizing for “hurtful language,” the effect of her comments on her cooking magazine contract and forthcoming book is to be determined.
“We are not in a position to discuss her magazine and contract right now,” said Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, CEO of Hoffman Media, which publishes the bimonthly Cooking With Paula Deen, to The Birmingham News. “A statement will be forthcoming later.”
She added to the Alabama-based paper: “We at Hoffman Media do not condone discrimination of any kind.”
STORY: Food Network Won’t Renew Paula Deen’s Contract
When contacted by The Hollywood Reporter on Saturday, Hoffman DePiano replied that there is no additional statement from Hoffman Media and declined to comment on any particulars of Deen’s contract. Cooking With Paula Deen counts a rate base circulation of 400,000, according to the publication’s 2012 media kit.
In addition to the bimonthly publication, Deen is set to release a new book, Paula Deen’s New Testament: 250 Favorite Recipes, All Lightened Up, in mid-October. Random House is “closely monitoring the situation” surrounding Deen, a company spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal.
Earlier in the week, Deen reportedly admitted to having used “the n-word” in the past during a deposition in the discrimination lawsuit filed against her and her brother by the former manager of their Georgia restaurant. Deen since has apologized for the use of the word, saying in a video she released that “inappropriate hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable. I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way.”
In a brief statement Friday, the Food Network said that it would be parting ways with the celebrity chef. “Food Network will not renew Paula Deen’s contract when it expires at the end of this month,” a network spokesperson said. Deen has appeared on the network for more than a decade and hosts Best Dishes and Home Cooking shows.
STORY: Paula Deen Defends Use of N-Word: I ‘Was Born 60 Years Ago’
The celebrity chef later acknowledged the departure from the network in a statement to CNN. “I have had the pleasure of being allowed into so many homes across the country and meeting people who have shared with me the most touching and personal stories,” Deen said, adding: “This would not have been possible without the Food Network.”
While late night shows and Twitter comedians have had a field day with Deen’s recent comments, the celebrity chef’s fans seemingly have appeared in droves on the Food Network’s Facebook page. The latest post by the network on Facebook, a zucchini casserole recipe, was inundated with comments pertaining to Deen’s unrenewed contract.
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