Paula Deen,
celebrity chef and noted racist, is making the media rounds in search of a comeback on the heels of an announcement that she has a new investment deal
in the neighborhood of $75 million.
In an interview to hit the stands on Friday, Paula says she's recovering and likened her struggles to those of Michael Sam, the football player who recently came out. Oh yes, she went there:
“I feel like ‘embattled’ or ‘disgraced’ will always follow my name. It’s like that black football player who recently came out,” Deen said in a People Magazine cover story, which hits newsstands on Friday. “He said, ‘I just want to be known as a football player. I don’t want to be known as a gay football player.’ I know exactly what he’s saying.”
She can also relate to homophobe Phil Robertson of
Duck Dynasty:
And since television personalities Phil Robertson (“Duck Dynasty”) and Nigella Lawson (“The Taste”) endured scandals last year without any noticeable damage to their careers, Deen has developed newfound “empathy” for those scrutinized by the media.
“It’s amazing that some people are given passes and some people are crucified,” Deen said. ”I have new empathy for these situations, though. My dad always told me, ‘Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear.’”
Birds of a feather definitely do flock together.