Paula Deen Fires Back In ‘N Word’ Lawsuit: Former GM Wanted $1.25 Million Settlement
May 28 2018, Updated 10:09 a.m. ET
By Jen Heger - RadarOnline.com Legal Editor
Paula Deen has filed a response to Lisa Jackson's lawsuit claiming the former restaurant General Manager tried to extort her for $1.25 million before filing suit, RadarOnline.com is reporting
Jackson filed the lawsuit in Georgia against Paula Deen Enterprises, claiming a shocking pattern of alleged racism, including the use of the ‘N word’, sexual harassment and infliction of emotional distress and assault while working at Uncle Bubba's Oyster House. Deen's brother, Bubba Hiers, who is named in the lawsuit along with Deen, ran the restaurant that Jackson worked at.
DOCUMENTS: Read The Explosive Lawsuit Against Paula Deen Enterprises (WARNING OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE)
Deen fired back in court documents filed Friday in Georgia and states: "Prior to the filing of this suit, Jackson repeatedly threatened to assert scurrilous claims publicly in the press unless huge sums of money were paid to Jackson and her counsel, which demand was refused. Jackson's suit should be dismissed, for among other reasons, on equitable grounds on the basis of clean hands."
According to a letter from Jackson's attorney, she would settle out of court for $1.25 million, but Deen's lawyers declined that offer, and shortly thereafter the lawsuit was filed.
The shocking lawsuit has blockbuster allegations including one in which Jackson states that she was appointed by Deen to handle the catering and staff for Bubba's wedding in 2007, and she asked Deen what the servers should wear: "Well what I would really like is a bunch of little n***ers 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,” Jackson alleges Deen told her. "Now, that would be a true Southern wedding wouldn't it? But we can't do that because the media would be on me about that."
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Another alleged racist incident listed in the lawsuit: "In the presence of Ms. Jackson and Uncle Bubba's restaurant manager and a vendor, Bubba Hiers stated they should send President Obama to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico so he could n***er-rig it."
Deen's attorney has also formally petitioned the presiding judge for an emergency injunctive relief to "prohibit the dissemination of extrajudicial comments or information." The docs state, "Through her cooking and television exposure, Mrs. Deen has arguably become the face of Southern cuisine and living....For a public figure such as Mrs. Deen, even if Ms. Jackson's allegations are proven untrue, the harm resulting from the continuing mass dissemination of the allegations may never be undone."