To begin the process of repairing her reputation, here are three things embattled cooking icon Paula Deen must do – and one thing she should not do – Wednesday morning in her "Today" show interview with Matt Lauer:
- Express regret and take responsibility for her reprehensible comments without offering rationalizations based on what year or in what region of the country the hurtful statements and jokes were made.
- Sincerely apologize to everyone she has let down – including Matt Lauer for stiffing him last week – and thank those who have stood by her.
- Describe her plan to earn back the trust of those she has hurt – the actions she can take to show those statements were out of character and not representative of her beliefs.
And there is one thing Ms. Deen should not do:
- Talk about how hard these past days have been on her.