LOS ANGELES, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Paula Deen says she has learned from her mistakes.
The 67-year-old cooking maven became the center of controversy last year after she admitted in a deposition to having used racial slurs. Deen reflected on the scandal in an interview with E! News, and declared she has a new understanding about the impact of words.
"I learned that no matter how old words get, they have a power," she asserted. "They have a power to hurt, they have a power to make people happy. Our books, our books, our books are full of words, I found out that they can be very powerful and that they can hurt."
Deen was dropped by the Food Network after the scandal went public, and also lost endorsements with companies including QVC and Smithfield Foods. The celebrity chef said the love and support of her loyal fans helped her keep her chin up in the midst of her disgrace.
"I have never had anyone come up and say anything unkind to me. Not one time," she claimed. "And in fact, I got letters ... I gathered strength from those people and my mail ... some of them would have their phone numbers on there and I'd call them."
Deen is ready for a fresh start, and recently launched her new venture, the Paula Deen Network. The online network is a subscriber-based service accessible on computer, tablet and smartphone, and features episodes of the chef cooking, recipes and cooking tips.
