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Although Paula Deen and her butter rich dishes have made her famous, a lawsuit from 2012 accusing the star of racism has dogged her since. Earlier today (June 19), a report alleged that while in court, Deen confessed to using racial epithets and even wanted Black people to dress as slaves at a wedding party.

The National Enquirer claims they have video of a May 17 deposition hearing where the Food Network host was questioned for three hours over her alleged use of slurs. This after a former employee, Lisa Jackson, accused her and brother, Bubba Hiers, of racism and sexism in the workplace last year. The 66-year-old Deen was questioned by Jackson’s attorney, who asked Deen if she’s ever used the N-Word. Deen was reported answering back, “Of course.”

Deen allegedly followed up this explosive reveal with, “It’s just what they are — they’re jokes. Most jokes are about Jewish people, rednecks, Black folks. I can’t determine what offends another person.”

The Enquirer piece also shared that Deen supported an idea of her brother having Black men dress as slaves after visiting a restaurant where the wait staff reminded her of the Civil War. With the reports coming from the tabloid, nothing can truly be confirmed as of yet. Still, the timing of this news was unfortunate for the popular cook.

Today is Juneteenth, which marks the day slavery was officially abolished in the United States in 1865. Twitter users were relentless in their written responses to Deen’s account, creating a humorous hashtag “#PaulaDeenRecipes” that has been going strong since this morning.

TMZ reached out to Deen’s reps and got the response, “Ms. Deen does not condone or find the use of racial epithets acceptable. She is looking forward to her day in court.”

Photo: Food Network