Like a heap of butter tossed into a hot frying pan, Paula Deen‘s business partnerships are dissolving quicker than she can imagine.
QVC is the latest company to terminate its professional relationship with the Southern chef, and we can’t say we’re too surprised.
Maintaining a relationship with a flailing celeb who admits (under oath) to using the N-word and then digs herself into deeper and more awkward holes with every passing “apology” must be tricky, to say the least.
Today CEO Mike George broke the seemingly inevitable news.
In a statement, he said:
“We have talked with Paula and her team extensively over the last several days, and together we have considered what is best for our customers, for Paula, and for QVC. For now, we have decided to take a pause. Paula won├óΓé¼Γäót be appearing on any upcoming broadcasts and we will phase out her product assortment on our online sales channels over the next few months. We all think it├óΓé¼Γäós important, at this moment, for Paula to concentrate on responding to the allegations against her and on her path forward.”
QVC held out longer than Walmart and Target, but with Paula’s history of racial bigotry now a matter of public record the writing was on the wall.
Paula responded to the company’s statement:
“As you know, I have some important things to work on right now, both personally and professionally. And so we├óΓé¼Γäóve agreed that it├óΓé¼Γäós best for me to step back from QVC and focus on setting things right.”
Ugh.
It’s an ugly situation all around, but it sounds like this break is probably for the best.
[Image via WENN.]