A tearful Paula Deen finally made an appearance on "The Today Show" Wednesday morning, telling host Matt Lauer that she is not a racist.
It was the 66-year-old celebrity chef's first interview since she admitted using racial epithets while being deposed for a discrimination lawsuit by a former employee.
The Food Network canceled Paula's contract, and her partnership with Smithfield Foods was terminated after transcripts from the deposition revealed she used the n-word once while describing an incident where she was robbed at gunpoint to her husband.
She told Matt that she only used the epithet once "in my 66 years on Earth had I ever used it" and that she did not believe the offense was one she should be fired for.
Check out the full interview below, where Matt asks her if she's a racist and if she's changed. Note, she never said "I'm sorry" in the 13-minute interview.
Should Paula be forgiven?
