Paula Deen hires real-life 'Scandal' team to manage PR crisis

Paula Deen has hired the crisis firm Smith & Co. as she weathers her current PR nightmare.

Deen admitted that she was a racist in court and this has resulted in her firing from The Food Network, Walmart, Smithfield and Caesars Entertainment. The Food Network is reported to have fired Deen because of a "her abysmal PR team" that produced two insincere videos posted on YouTube last week. Let's hope this new team doesn't make the same mistake.

Smith & Co. CEO Judy Smith is the inspiration behind Kerry Washington's character on Scandal.

Oh the irony! A black woman has come to save Paula Deen for being a racist.

From Ad Age:

Paula Deen has hired D.C. crisis firm Smith & Co. as she faces backlash and loses sponsorship deals amid allegations that she has,used racial slurs.

Ms. Deen's management team reached out to the firm a few days ago, an executive familiar with the matter said, after she had already canceled her planned Friday appearance on "The Today Show" and issued a pair of poorly-received YouTube videos instead.

Smith & Co. CEO Judy Smith, who served as the inspiration for Kerry Washington's character on ABC's "Scandal," declined to comment.

In what was likely a first move by the new PR team, Ms. Deen rescheduled her interview with Matt Lauer on "The Today Show" this morning. She broke out in tears as she said she had only used the "N" word while being held at gunpoint.

But Ms. Deen, already scuttled by Smithfield Foods and The Food Network, was also dropped Wednesday by Caesars Entertainment, which has four Paula Deen-branded restaurants in its properties.

Smith & Co. will likely try to focus attention on the business partners that have stuck by Ms. Deen so far, including Novo Nordisk, maker of the diabetes treatment Victoza; Springer Mountain Chicken; Landies Candies; and Tasty Blend Foods.