America’s butter-loving southern queen Paula Deen (shown above with Amar’e Stoudemire) is embroiled in a little bit of controversy over her use of the "N"  word.  Get the deets on some of the off-color behavior that Chef Paula and her sons are accused of behind the scenes inside… 

Charges of racism are being flung at Southern-chef Paula Deen after The National Enquirer published passages from a video of a deposition where Paula admitted to using the N-word and making racist and anti-Semitic jokes.

According to the Huffington Post, the deposition was held on May 17 as part of a court case brought forth by former Paula Deen Enterprises employee Lisa Jackson against Deen and her brother, Earl “Bubba” Hiers. In the suit, Lisa claimed there were several instances of sexual and racial workplace discrimination.

In one particularly salacious story from the deposition, Lisa was asked to plan a wedding for Paula’s son Bubba.  Lisa claims Paula said she wanted to do a slave-style wedding.  No, really….she did.  Paula’s words:

"I want a true Southern -plantation style wedding.  Well what I would really like is a bunch of little niggers to wear long-sleeve white shirts, black shorts and black bow ties, you know in the Shirley Temple days, they used to tap dance around.  Now that would be a true Southern wedding wouldn’t it?"

The deposition goes on to claim that Black workers at "Uncle Bubba’s Restaurant" were required to use the BACK entrance to pick up their checks, and were all required to use the same bathroom at the BACK of the restaurant (while white employees could use the customer’s restrooms).  Also, Blacks employees who worked in the back of the restaurant were not allow to go to the front of the restaurant.  

Elsewhere in the deposition, Lisa goes on the quote Bubba saying things like, "I wish I could put all those niggers (in the kitchen) on a boat back to Africa)."  And, he allegedly said, "They should send President Obama to the oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico so he could nigger-rig it."

When asked by lawyers about Lisa’s claims, here are direct passages from the interview.

On using the N-word:

Lawyer: Have you ever used the N-word yourself?
Deen: Yes, of course.
Lawyer: Okay. In what context?
Deen: Well, it was probably when a black man burst into the bank that I was working at and put a gun to my head.

Lawyer: Okay. And what did you say?
Deen: Well, I don’t remember, but the gun was dancing all around my temple … I didn’t — I didn’t feel real favorable towards him.

Lawyer: Okay. Well, did you use the N-word to him as he pointed a gun in your head at your face?
Deen: Absolutely not.

Lawyer: Well, then, when did you use it?
Deen: Probably in telling my husband.

And on her brother’s behavior:

Lawyer: Are you aware of Mr. Hiers admitting that he engaged in racially and sexually inappropriate behavior in the workplace?
…

Deen: I guess

Lawyer: Okay. Well, have you done anything about what you heard him admit to doing?
Deen: My brother and I have had conversations. My brother is not a bad person. Do humans behave inappropriately? At times, yes. I don’t know one person that has not. My brother is a good man. Have we told jokes? Have we said things that we should not have said, that — yes, we all have. We all have done that, every one of us.

For her part, Paula Deen’s lawyer defended her in a carfefully worded statement that did not deny what was revealed in the deposition.

"Contrary to media reports, Ms. Deen does not condone or find the use of racial epithets acceptable. She is looking forward to her day in court."

Sometimes we wish we didn’t know the things we know about celebs.  Especially idiotic statements like this.  And no, we’re not giving her points for being "truthful."  She and her brothers seem to "miss" the days of the ole South.  And we’re going to have to MISS her mac & cheese recipes that were damn good. Too bad so sad….

Read the FULL deposition here.

Photos via Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images North America

"LAHH ATL" star Erica Dixon stripped down for a sexy nearly-nude spread in "BLACK MEN" Magazine.  See shots from her upcoming issue inside…

In the latest issue of BLACK MEN magazine, reality star Erica Dixon just shot a revealing pictorial that we’re sure she was planing to throw in Lil’ Scrappy’s face after their pre-jail drama.

Now that it appears that her relationship with her baby father, fellow "LAHH ATL" star Lil’ Scrappy is over (or is it really since she was holding hands with him last month as he made hi way to jail?), Erica Dixon is putting the world on notice that she’s sexy and single.

We always said this girl had model potential, but we weren’t necessarily talking about BOOTY model.  A bit disappointing, but we admit, she’s a hottie.

And with Lil’ Scrappy still dealing with legal issues and an addiction to marijuana, it looks like Erica MAY have bailed on the relationship at the right time.

Good luck hunting for a good man Erica….

Watch BTS video here:

In case you missed it….

Watch Mama Dee celebrated the end of Lil’ Scrappy’s engagement to Erica with Shay!  So messy…

Photos via Pics & Video courtesy of iMarc

Mr. West had a lot to scream off his chest Saturday night on ‘SNL". As the musical guest for the fifth time, Kanye debuted a brand new track called "Black Skinhead" and his other new track "New Slaves."

Check out both of Kanye’s rock-style performances where he’s bringing his social consciousness to the world, plus his new album artwork for Yeezus….

‘Ye debuted an interesting track called "Black Skinhead" on "SNL".  And through all of the screaming and slight auto-tune, we could tell he was saying some powerful ish.  While images of fire, political slogans, advertisements and more played in the background (one said "Not For Sale"), Kanye was on 100 living the crowd a rock-style performance.

And if you’re thinking that all dude needed was black nails and lipstick and we could have mistaken him for Marilyn Manson for that performance, you’re not too far off.  The music reportedly sampled a Marilyn Manson song.  Check out his performance of "Black Skinhead" above.

By the way, Virgil (Kanye’s right hand) posted the lyrics to the track saying Kanye literally wrote "Black Skinhead" minutes before his performance. Luckily the network let him perform that piece on live TV (y’all know they like to know what they’re getting before something airs live).

And here’s his other performance from the night, "New Slaves." This performance comes one day after Kanye showed the visuals for the track guerrilla style in 66 cities around the world….projected against buildings. 

Your thoughts? Scary genius…or just scary?

According to his girlfriend Kim Kardashian’s latest Instagram pic, the Chi-Town native’s upcoming album is called Yeezus (of course) and will be released June 18th.  Kim posted the album artwork below saying, "#Yeezus #RedYeezy’s #SNL #Tonight #NewSlaves #YeezySeason #Donda #June18"  

Well….

Photos: NBC/Virgil’s Instagram/Kim’s Instagram

New stills from the upcoming film Black Nativity starring Angela Bassett, Jennifer Hudson, and Mary J. Blige have been released. See the official photos inside and find out about ASPIRE’s New "Exhale" talk show with co-host Malinda Williams.

New stills from the set of the film Black Nativity (November 27th) just hit the net and we get to see singer Mary J. Blige in her role as a guardian angel…with a platinum ‘fro.

Jennifer Hudson, who plays Naima (the mother of Langston) will also be among the musical talents who lend their voices to the film.  She’ll be joined by Nas, Luke James and Tyrese.

The film will centered around Jacob Latimore’s Langston (shown above) who will discover the true meaning of faith, healing, and family during a Christmas visit to the home of his estranged relatives Reverend Cornell and Aretha Cobbs (Forest Whitaker and Angela Bassett).

And heading to the airwaves…..

ASPIRE, the cable network started by entertainment mogul Magic Johnson, has announced the creation of a new talk show, "Exhale", targeting African American women.  Styled after ABC’s hit, "The View" the new chat fest will be on limited cable, instead of syndication, co-hosted by actress Malinda Williams, journalist Angela Burt-Murray, actress and comedian Erin Jackson, "Awkward Black Girl" creator Issa Rae, author Rene Syler.

Produced by Lynne Robinson and Black Robin Media, fans can expect to see the shows’ eight-episode first run will kick off in June, coinciding with the network’s one-year anniversary.  ‘Bird’ on a talk show?  This should be interesting….

Aspire’s General Manager Paul Butler spoke of the new gab fest saying, “We are thrilled to add ‘Exhale’ to our lineup of original programming. This fresh, hip and candid new series will enlighten audiences with its broad range of topics relevant to the community.”

Will you be watching?

Beyonce has just teased some carefully selected shots from her "The Mrs. Carter Show" World Tour.  See the "candids" inside and listen to her "Back To Black" remake with Andre 3000.

Fan fans waiting for "The Mrs. Carter Show" to stop through their town, they can get a glimpse of Mrs. Carter in action, with a few carefully choreographed "candids" from her stop at the LG Arena in Birmingham, UK last night.

Previously, we told you that Mrs. Carter had banned photographers from her live shows, and now the only professional pics you’ll see of her on-stage are those hand picked by her and her team.

We imagine Bey knows exactly when she’ll be photographed and the show’s photographer, Frank Micelotta, knows exactly when to press "click". We don’t mind…it makes for a great picture.

And in new releases….

On his East Village radio show, producer Mark Ronson debuted the "Back To Black" remake that Beyonce and Andre 3000 created for The Great Gatsby soundtrack (May 7).  When asked what he thought about Bey and Andre remaking the Amy Winehouse track, he said, “I’m flattered and honored. I know Amy would be too."

Helmed by executive producer Jay-Z, the soundtrack will feature Fergie, Q-Tip, Lana Del Rey, Emeli Sandé, will.i.am, and others.

Cassie hit up Bamboo nightclub in Miami last night.  And hit the carpet in a sexy all black look.  Check the pics inside….

The chick loves to party.  While her man Diddy was in Miami hosting Liv last night, Cassie was also in the southern city playing her "Ciroc Girl" role and partying at Bamboo for Snoop Dogg‘s DJ set:

She rocked a cute black maxi dress with cutouts and sexy heels.

And she posted a few pics of herself partying with friends.  Meanwhile, Cassie’s gearing up to release her RockAByeBaby mixtape on April 11th.

Photos via SPLASH/Instagram

Tyrese Gibson is the jack of all trades these days.  The singer, actor, dad, and author is gearing up to release his own documentary about his life.  Check out the rags to riches preview inside…

He’s got the summer blockbuster Fast & The Furious 6 on deck, his latest album Open Invitation is in stores, his singing group TGT (with Tank & Ginuwine), a new book with Rev. Run called Manology, just wrapped the Black Nativity musical and is still in production for the Teddy Pendergrass biopic (where he stars as the late singer).  

Apparently, all that isn’t enough, because Tyrese–who’s also dad to 5-year-old daughter Shayla–just created a documentary about his life.  Can’t knock his hustle.

A Black Rose That Grew Through Concrete is all about Black Ty went from a boy growing up in Watts, Cali around drugs, prostitution and gangs, to becoming the Hollywood star that he is.  From talent shows, to modeling, to that career breaking Coca-Cola commercial, to a hit singing & movie career, he’s telling folks how he got here.

Ty told his fans, "You have never seen anything like this from me….This is my story…Realist shit I ever spoke…. I really did start from the bottom."

Check out the documentary trailer below:

The full length documentary will be out Easter Sunday, March 31st.
 

Photo: Instagram

Porsha Stewart is explaining why she’s proud to be the "black trophy wife" of her husband, Kordell.  And if Porsha’s newest charming statement isn’t enough, she’s also dishing on her music career she says she’s taking seriously, and explains why her stepson remains hidden on "Real Housewives of Atlanta"…

Everyone’s fave 265-days-a-year Housewife chatted up ABC News Radio about a few topics viewers have been wondering about.  Will she actually embark on a music career–seeing that her description of her voice was not hot, and we all know Kordell is trying to control her every move?   Will her stepson ever appear on the show?  And why she feels it’s OK to play the trophy wife role.

Why Her Stepson Syre Isn’t Featured on RHOA:
"He’s a nine-year-old little boy. He’s my stepson and I absolutely adore him. We did make the decision not to feature him on the show. [Real Housewives] is something that I decided to do and Kordell signed up to support me. Syre…doesn’t have a place on the show for me."

Why She’s Proud to Be a Trophy Wife:
"Being a trophy wife per se is not just about your outer looks. It’s about the man who has put you on the pedestal and him admiring you and thinking well enough of you to put you up there. And I think it’s important for our little girls to know that they can be a princesses and they can have it all…So I feel proud to represent — and I use the word lightly — the black trophy wife."

Explains Kordell’s Less Than Thrilled Reaction to Her Not Being Pregnant on Last Week’s Episode:
"With me suffering a miscarriage before that was difficult for both of us and…at that moment he doesn’t want to put too much pressure on it because he knows how much that means to me. And really when you’re trying to have a baby the best thing to do is to just not concentrate on it, just let it happen."

"I felt as a newlywed, you know a lot of times you go through things behind closed doors and you feel alone. And I just felt somewhere in there, me telling my story, would help someone."

On Her Music Career:
"I’m working on my sound so I’ve been working with different producers to get that together. It’s a very serious thing to me. It’s not just play play. I’m not just trying to put a one-hit wonder. I want my music to really represent me. So I’ve been taking it seriously here lately. I’ll be coming out with a project. …It’ll be about relationships for sure and it’ll just speak to that, speak to love and the struggles, and the ups and the downs and the great moments, all of that. It’ll be something that — a soundtrack to our life."

Gotta love that Porsha.  The "RHOA" finale and 3-part reunion special are airing soon on BRAVO….

On Naomi Campbell’s Oxygen reality show, "The Face" one model was asked if she identified as a "black" model, which made us wonder if the question of race should factor into how we view our jobs.  Speak on it inside….

On this week’s episode of "The Face," Wendy Williams interviewed the remaining models.   She asked contestant Devyn about how her race played a factor in the modeling.  When the model seemingly dismissed race as a factor, and Naomi was heard going off in the background, it made us want to ask if we should view our careers through the scope of race.  On the show, their exchange went as follows:

Wendy: Is it hard to be a black girl model?

Devyn: I don’t really consider myself to be a black girl model. I mean, I know what my ethnicity is, but I’m fair-skinned and I feel like I have an international look.

Wendy: So you don’t feel black.

Devyn: No, that’s not what I said, whatsoever.

Naomi Campbell (in the wings): What the f*ck does she mean? That’s a disgrace! She’s a black girl.

Devyn’s answer does raise an interesting question.  Does race play a part in the professional roles we play?  Is it offensive that Devyn just wants to be viewed as a "model" rather than a "black model"?  Or is it offensive that she’s dismissing being black as if it will be a negative strike against her?

Watch the controversial question and response here:

SPEAK ON IT….

Terrence Howard hinting at taking a break from acting and vented his frustration over the backlash he received for marrying an Asian woman during his Dead Man Down promos.  Watch the interview inside……….

While doing the promo rounds for his latest flick, "Dead Man Down" (which opened at the box office this weekend with a disappointing $ 1.8 Million) Terrence Howard hinted at an "acting" break and blasted how he was ridiculed for marrying outside his race.  

He spoke about taking a break from movie/tv roles for a while because "I feel maybe I’ve done enough, I’ve played enough in these field.  And I would like to see what other mediums that I can aspire towards."

And when it came to talks of his bitter divorce, Terrence felt like he came out on the receiving end of a lot of hatred because he married outside of his race.

"We have a crab mentality where we try to pull each other down because of choices we’ve made.  Because I chose to marry an Asian woman instead of a Black woman.  I think as Black people we have to start helping each other and congratulating each other for being morally strong. And doing the right thing by that.  If you dont have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all."

Somethng tells me that’s not why he received hate. 

Watch the interview here: