Paula Deen has lost a major endorsement deal in the wake of allegations that she and people in her restaurants have engaged in racial and sexual harassment, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Deen has been a spokeswoman for the Smithfield, Va.-based Smithfield Foods since 2006. Her name and face appears on Smithfield products including its ham sausage and spiral-sliced ham.
Smithfield announced it would end the partnership on Tuesday, following Deen's admission in a court deposition that she used racial epithets in the past.
“Smithfield condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind. Therefore, we are terminating our partnership with Paula Deen,” the company said. ”Smithfield is determined to be an ethical food industry leader and it is important that our values and those of our spokespeople are properly aligned.”
The statement follows the announcement on Friday that the Food Network was terminating her contract and pulling her two shows from the air. Deen has been with the Food Network since 1999.
Meantime, QVC, which sells Deen's cookbooks and cookware on TV, is reportedly reviewing its relationship with her. And Hoffmann Media, which publishes Deen's magazine Cooking With Paula Deen, wouldn't discuss plans for its contract with Deen, but said it would release a statement later.
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