Smithfield Foods Cuts Ties With Paula Deen

Paula Deen has lost a second partnership; Eater has gotten confirmation that Smithfield Foods has terminated their relationship with Paula Deen after last week's 'N' word, racist joke-ridden scandal.

Paula Deen started working with Smithfield as early as September 2006, specifically promoting their brands through her channels. That would make their now-defunct partnership almost 7 years old.

"Smithfield condemns the use of offensive and discriminatory language and behavior of any kind. Therefore, we are terminating our partnership with Paula Deen," Keira Lombardo, vice president of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, told Eater in an email. "Smithfield is determined to be an ethical food industry leader and it is important that our values and those of our spokespeople are properly aligned." Meanwhile, other sponsors like QVC  are monitoring the situation, with QVC saying, "we have no immediate plans to have [Deen] appear on QVC."

In other Paula Deen news, another former employee has come forward claiming that from 2008 to 2010, Paula Deen regularly made him and other black employees work for the parties on her Savannah estate sans pay (unless beer counts). "Paula and Bubba just gave us beer and alcohol and I don't even drink. It was insulting and unfair. I was like, 'Pay me!' She knew I had just gotten married. I had a baby on the way. I needed the money and I was the only one to step up and complain over it because half of the kitchen just needed their jobs. I was fired over it in the end because I'm not afraid to speak my mind," he told RadarOnline.