Famous Food

Rev. Al Sharpton doesn't much care if Paula Deen used the n-word 27-years-ago ... he says it's more about whether she's still using it today.

We asked Sharpton -- a renowned figure in the Civil Rights movement -- if Paula should be forgiven, and he was somewhat sympathetic, saying ... "A lot of us have in the past said things we have regretted saying years ago."

The Rev. added Paula should instead be judged based on the outcome of the current lawsuit ... from a former employee accusing Paula and her brother of using offensive language.

"You can't deal with what is fair and not fair till we see the outcome of the present circumstances she's accused of ... not something 20 years ago."

Sharpton also addresses another hot button racial issue ... fried chicken.

If you're lookin' for Paula Deen's pots and pans, you better jump fast, because it looks like her shelf-life on QVC is about to expire.

Deen -- who appears on the product-hawking network to pitch her cookware -- may lose her platform over the "n-word" revelations.

A rep for the network says they have "concerns [over] the unfortunate Paula Deen situation." The rep adds, "Please know that QVC does not tolerate discriminatory behavior."

Now this is the weird part, which makes QVC sound -- how do you say in English -- as spineless as deep-fried octopus. "We are closely monitoring these events and we are reviewing our business relationship with Ms. Deen. In the meantime, we have no immediate plans to have her appear on QVC."

Translation -- They're waiting to see which way the wind blows.

Disgraced chef Paula Deen has committed a far worse crime than using the N-word: she's committed MURDER ... of sorts ... according to Kid 'n Play rapper Chris Reed.

Chris is surprisingly forgiving of Paula's blunder -- he explains why (although, our guess is he hasn't seen THIS GEM yet).

Paula Deen's PR team botched her n-word apology so badly ... the Food Network had no choice but to fire her, sources close to the network tell TMZ.

According to our sources, her management's clumsy damage control -- backing out of the Matt Lauer interview and releasing multiple lame mea culpas -- was the primary reason the Food Network pulled the plug on the celebrity chef.

We're told the apology videos were the last straw -- clinching the Food Network's decision to drop the ax on her. And if you've seen the videos, it's not a big shock. (Apology 1, Apology 2)

But the silver lining ... we're told Paula's son Bobby Deen will be spared ... his Food Network show "Not My Mama's Meals" won't be affected by his mama getting the boot.

Paula Deen has been 86'd from the Food Network for confessing during a deposition that she used the N-word in 1986. So we gotta ask ...

After winning the Miss USA crown Erin Brady did what any starving beauty queen would do -- EAT ... well, kinda.

Our beauty queen spies tell TMZ ... Erin keeps her body right and tight by eating healthy (like all the time) ... which is why the 25-year-old noshed on a beet salad and spicy tuna on crispy rice as her first post-pageant meal.

Gorging on a burger didn't even cross Erin's mind ... she's a sweet over salty person. But the one thing she is craving: a hot fudge sundae, with ALL the toppings ... but for now, that's just unrequited love.

5:10 PM PT -- Paula has just released a statement, thanking the Food Network for 11 "great years." She said, "Because of the gift the Food Network gave me, I've had the pleasure of being allowed into so many homes across the country."

Paula Deen's goose has been cooked at the Food Network. Officials tell TMZ they are not renewing her contract, which expires at the end of this month.

Paula apparently was done in for her comments during a deposition in a civil lawsuit, in which she freely admitted to using the N-word in the past.

Deen issued an apology this morning that bordered on ridiculous -- it was heavily edited and frankly insincere.

She issued a second apology shortly before the Food Network said it would not renew her contract.

Paula Deen must have realized how insincere her first video apology was when she posted it several hours ago ... because she's decided to do it again, and this one is much better.

Paula says in the new video she wanted to speak from her heart -- something she clearly didn't do in her first, heavily-edited and publicist-vetted disaster.

This time she speaks in one take, saying she doesn't discriminate against African Americans, Jews or gays. It's not polished, but it seems way more authentic.

You be the judge.

1:00 PM PT -- FYI, Paula just yanked the video apology from her YouTube channel.

Paula Deen continues to step in it, and we know part of the problem is that her team doesn't have a clue.

She just issued a weird, video apology with an edit after almost every sentence. It's as if some publicist is feeding her lines that she has trouble delivering.

Rather than explaining why she used the N-word in the past -- something she might have been able to explain given her background -- she's just begging for forgiveness. It feels like it's coming from a bunch of suits, and not from her heart. Huge miss.

Aaron Hernandez can say goodbye to one of his sponsors -- Muscle Milk is jumping ship in the wake of the NFL star's legal troubles.

CytoSport -- the company behind the popular supplement -- said it was dropping the Patriots' tight end immediately ... in the light of the ongoing investigation.

Police searched Hernandez's Massachusetts home and the area around it ... while investigating the homicide of Odin Lloyd ... who has connections to Hernandez.

Hernandez -- who has not been arrested or named a suspect in Lloyd's death -- is also being sued for allegedly shooting a man in Miami.

You can't keep good chicken down ... Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs joint has been cleared to re-open -- one day after the landlord shut it down and evicted Flav.

Attorneys for the restaurant in Sterling Heights, Michigan filed a Motion to Stay the eviction ... claiming they weren't informed about a court hearing on the matter until AFTER the hearing had been held.

A judge agreed and postponed the eviction until attorneys for both sides can have another hearing -- but did require the restaurant to pay one month's rent ... $3,500.

James Gandolfini reportedly gorged himself on fried food, foie gras and booze just before he died of a heart attack.

Gandolfini downed at least 8 drinks at the restaurant in the hotel where he died -- 4 shots of rum, 2 pina coladas and 2 beers -- this according to the New York Post.

The "Sopranos" star also feasted on fried prawns covered in mayo and chili sauce and foie gras, according to the paper.

On Tuesday -- the night before he died -- we're told Gandolfini dined at another restaurant and downed at least one glass of wine (Photo above).

Gandolfini struggled with alcohol and drug addiction.

James Gandolfini dined at an Italian restaurant and was photographed during his meal shortly before he died.

We've been getting unconfirmed reports Gandolfini was at Vitti restaurant in Rome -- where the pic was taken -- hours before his death. Although we know he was there, the restaurant can't confirm if it turned out to be his last meal.

And now we know ... doctors tried in vain for 40 minutes to resuscitate the actor. They tried everything -- heart massage and other methods but there was no electric activity from the heart, meaning he was probably dead before he even got to the hospital. The hospital confirms that.

There will be an autopsy, which will probably include a toxicology report that will reveal if drugs or alcohol were in Gandolfini's system.

LANDLORD VICTORY BOIIIIIIIIIIIIIII -- Flavor Flav's Fried Chicken & Ribs has officially been evicted from its location in Sterling Heights, Michigan ... and police wasted no time clearing staff out of the location, TMZ has learned.

The signed eviction order was affixed to the front door today following a bitter legal battle between Flav's business partners and the landlord, who sued to evict them earlier this month ... accusing Flav's team of stiffing the property owner on more than $20,000 in unpaid rent.

Sources close to the restaurant tell TMZ, police showed up this morning to kick out the staff and change the locks on the doors.

For Flav's part, his business associates claim they didn't pay rent because of a faulty heating unit on the property -- which was allegedly spewing carbon monoxide -- but their excuse apparently hasn't helped their case.

Calls to Flav's camp weren't returned.

Paula Deen is using the "I'm from the South" excuse to justify her use of the N-word ... saying that when she grew up, dropping an N-bomb was no big deal because everyone was racist.

Paula Deen Enterprises just issued the following statement to TMZ ... "During a deposition where she swore to tell the truth, Ms. Deen recounted having used a racial epithet in the past, speaking largely about a time in American history which was quite different than today."

FYI -- the "time" Paula admitted to using the N-word was 1986!!!!!

Anyway, the statement continues ... "[Paula] was born 60 years ago when America's South had schools that were segregated, different bathrooms, different restaurants and Americans rode in different parts of the bus. This is not today."

Famed black Southern chef Joe Randall -- who once taught Paula Deen a few tricks -- says he's extremely hurt by Deen's admitted use of the n-word ... but tells TMZ, he'd STILL welcome her at his establishment.

Randall -- who runs the famous Savannah Cooking School in Georgia where Deen once studied -- tells us, he can't say definitely whether Deen's a racist simply because she once used the n-word ... but says, "I can say that her admitting to using derogatory language and the n-word is very hurtful."

Randall called the language racist, but said, "You have to understand we're in the South and some people think that it's acceptable to use [racist] language from 50 years ago."

Now the shocking part ... Randall says, "As a businessman, of course she is welcome in my establishment like any other client would be. I wouldn't turn her down at all."

He adds, "Although I don't respect that she used derogatory hateful words ... and if she came into my establishment and we were to talk, I would tell her I don't agree with her words."

Translation: money talks, racist or not.