Celebrity chef Paula Deen faced a public relations scandal in 2013 that resulted in her not only losing her Food Network show, but also millions of dollars in terminated endorsements.

During a May 17 sworn deposition for a now-dismissed lawsuit in which she was the defendant, Deen admitted using racial slurs on the sets of her cooking shows in past.

The lawsuit against her was filed in 2012 by the general manager of Uncle Bubba's Oyster House, a restaurant that Deen owned with her brother, Earl (Bubba) Hiers. The white employee had dark skin since her father was Sicilian, and claimed she suffered prejudice as a result of it.

Deen said she used the N-word during a deposition in connection with the discrimination lawsuit. While under oath she also talked about her a fantasy of having black men dress up as slaves for a wedding.

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After the deposition went public, the cooking maven released a statement through Paula Deen Enterprises for her actions, explaining her use of the N-word having to do with her being old and southern. On June 21, Deen released a video apologizing "[for] the wrong that I've done," adding, "Your color of your skin, your religion, your sexual preference does not matter."

Later that day, Deen was dropped from the Food Network after 11 years. Deen was dropped by most of her major sponsors and deals in mid-June. Walmart, Target, QVC, Kmart, Walgreens and many others terminated their deals with the celebrity chef and removed her products from their shelves.

On June 26, Deen appeared on TODAY for her first TV interview since she was let go from the Food Network. She addressed the claims made against her, admitting she used the N-word only once in her life and she is "not" racist.

A federal judge dropped the discrimination case against Deen in August. In September, Deen was a guest on the Metro Cooking and Entertaining Show. She talked about her comeback.

"I had a little rough patch this summer, but you know it was an opportunity to learn," she said. "I learned a lot about myself. I certainly learned a lot about my business, and I just want to thank y'all from the bottom of my heart. Hi. I'm back."