Paula Deen Thanks Food Network for '11 Great Years' After Firing

As reported by People, Paula Deen issued a statement to CNN last night thanking The Food Network for her "11 great years" on the air following their decision not to renew her contract, which expires at the end of the month.

"I have had the pleasure of being allowed into so many homes across the country and meeting people who have shared with me the most touching and personal stories. This would not have been possible without the Food Network," Deen said. "Thank you again. Love and best dishes to all of ya'll."

Read the original report here.

Deen is currently facing a discrimination lawsuit for using a racial slur during a deposition in a civil lawsuit. The celebrity chef was scheduled to appear on the TODAY show yesterday on NBC but cancelled the interview due to "exhaustion". She then released her first public apology yesterday morning, followed by another, more heartfelt video.

Deen is well known for her Southern Cooking passion, having sold more than 8,000,000 of her 14 cookbooks and received an Emmy Award nomination for her work as host of "Paula's Best Dishes." Deen has also appeared on the Food Network in "Paula's Party", "The Next Food Network Star", "Paula's Home Cooking" and more.

Deen's family continues to be connected to her work; her son Bobby's show "Not My Mama's Meals" is a hit on Cooking Channel and her son Jamie has a new show "Home for Dinner with Jamie Deen" on The Food Network.

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