Paula Deen offered a simple explanation for many of her most controversial actions of the past few years at a TimesTalk with New York Times Atlanta bureau chief Kim Severson on Saturday: naivete.
"I was so naive, y'all," she said. "I always think everybody thinks like me."
She first pleaded ignorance as a defense against charges of animal cruelty leveled against her after she signed on as a spokesperson with Smithfield Hams, which critics say mistreats its hogs. "I was always of the opinion that God put [animals] on Earth for mankind's survival. I had just never thought about it from another perspective," she explained.
She was at least as eager to chalk her divisive response to her diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes up to a kind of blind optimism. "I was so naive about that, too, Kim," she said, when Severson broached the topic.
Still, Deen gave probably her fullest account yet of what went on behind the scenes after she found out about her diabetes at the Times Talk. As she recalls it, her initial response to her diagnosis was denial. She just didn't believe that she had the disease. Eventually, more tests by doctors convinced her that they were right -- but even then, she didn't feel ready to go public, because she was still "absorbing it."
Plus, she felt confident that God would send her a message when it was time for her to tell her story to the world.
"To say I'm a very religious person, I can't say that, because I don't go to church. But I'm a very spiritual person. I knew that the opportunity to share would present itself," she said.
That opportunity ended up coming in the form of an unsolicited call from the marketing division of pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk. Deen says they had no idea that she had diabetes herself. They just wanted to partner with her on a website of diabetes-friendly recipes. She wondered how they knew that she had diabetes, given that she'd kept it a secret from almost everyone outside her family and friends. But it turned out they didn't. So she told them -- and, as she recalls, "they just about fell out of their chairs."
Deen says she was shocked by how negative the public response was when she announced that she was becoming the spokeswoman for Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Victoza. "I couldn't understand the haters. It just about killed me when people were saying all that," she said.
But Deen has not responded to the stress by overeating. She has embraced moderation. And as a result, lost a great deal of weight -- over 40 pounds, she said. And her husband Michael, who was in the audience at the Talk, has lost 60. But that doesn't mean that she's changed her diet completely.
"Do I still eat fried chicken? I certainly do. Once every six weeks, maybe. Not once a week like I used to," she said.
Deen also touched on other hot-button issues on Saturday afternoon, thanks to unusually aggressive moderation by Severson. In one of the most awkward segments of the discussion, she addressed the South's history of racism and slavery, arguing that white people in Georgia are actually less racist than people in the North, because they've always lived in such close proximity to blacks. She noted that one of the people on her staff that she feels closest to was black, and called him up on stage to prove it. But she also said that she wasn't sure that racism would ever end completely, because many people instinctually experience prejudice, regardless of the color of their own skin.
"I think black people feel the same prejudice that white people do," she said.
At another point, Severson tried to get Deen to talk about her views on national politics. But that didn't go well. Deen flashed a deer in the headlights look and glanced over at her publicist, who signalled that Deen could not say anything. Not even when Severson asked her, "Romney or Obama? Quick. Go."
But Deen did reveal what she'd like to do if she were the president.
"Everyone would have health insurance. Everyone would have a job. Maybe a little land. And they could have as big a soda as they wanted," she said, to belly-laughs from the entire audience.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.