Paula Deen's Teary Interview: PR Crisis Expert Reveals How Deen Could Have Saved Her Career
No amount of butter could save the mess Paula Deen has created for herself.
After Food Network dropped the celebrity chef in the wake of revelations that she used racial slurs in the past, Deen began to see her other endorsement deals unravel at the seams. On Wednesday, she lost another chunk of her empire when Wal-Mart Stores Inc. announced that it ended its relationship with the Southern celebrity chef.
The announcement follows Deen's appearance on TODAY in which she gave a teary interview, claiming that anyone in the audience who's never said anything they've regretted should pick up a rock and throw it at her head. The interview -- along with two prior apology videos -- have come under fire, with fans and critics wondering who is doing her PR.
Jonathan L. Bernstein, president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., believes all of Deen's attempts to save her reputation have failed due to her insincerity and lack of proper crisis-related media training.
"Paula and her sons proved the fact known by any of us who do media training that the ability to give good promotional media interviews does not in any way qualify someone to give crisis-related media interviews," said the crisis-PR expert, who has not worked with Deen.
The controversy began when Deen made the admission of using the N-word during a sworn deposition in connection with a discrimination lawsuit brought by a former employee, who said she was in a hostile work environment filled with innuendo and racial slurs.
Although Deen has apologized for the remarks and released videos giving her mea culpa for using racial slurs, it wasn't enough.
Following the controversy last week, the Food Network said it wouldn't renew Deen's contract when it expires at the end of the month. Following suit, other companies including Smithfield Foods and Caesars Entertainment severed ties with the celebrity chef. Home shopping corporation QVC announced that are "reviewing [their] business relationship with Ms. Deen" in the wake of the scandal.
"Paula Deen needs to learn that if you still harbor racist or bigoted notions, you'd sure better keep them away from your professional life - while remembering that, these days, it's pretty hard to keep even your private life private," advised Bernstein.
Where did Deen go wrong?
"She clearly didn't understand that if you have done something in your past that you know is going to look bad, don't try to defend it, and act apologetically if you must discuss the issue. Had Deen said in the deposition, "Yes, I did say those things, but I now realize they were inappropriate and hurtful," she may still have a job," the expert added.
Bernstein doesn't think Deen is a lost cause though, adding that he believes the chef needs stay off the radar and enable the public time to forgive and forget.
In addition, to taking sensitivity training "to understand how the beliefs you may have grown up with are harmful to you and others," the crisis-PR expert said, "Paula needs to stay out of trouble for an extended period of time and prove that she's learned from her mistakes."
