Paula Deen was all tears during her first public appearance since the summer scandal that nearly ended her career.
Deen, 66, made an appearance at the Metro Cooking and Entertainment Show in Houston, Texas on Saturday and was greeted with 10 minutes of thunderous applause and a standing ovation from the audience, People reports.
Deen broke down into tears in reaction to the crowd’s warm welcome.
"These are tears of joy, y'all," Deen told the audience of about 1,500, according to the Houston Chronicle. "I've said all along that the one place I'd want to make my first step back out is Texas. Y'all's hearts are as big as your state."
After composing herself, Deen went on to do a cooking demo with her sons Bobby and Jaime. People also reports that Deen seemed in better spirits when, near the end of the demo, she went up to one of the cameras and smiled bright, saying, “I’m back!”
In June, Deen was at the center of a scandal after she admitted to using the n-word. She lost her deal with the Food Network, parted ways with her longtime agent, and lost endorsements from numerous big name stores like Target and Walmart.
Last month, the lawsuit against Deen was thrown out by a judge who said that the plaintiff, Lisa Jackson, was not the target of racial discrimination.
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