Paula Deen's Cobb Cousin: "She Is Very Caring"

This post was written by Patch Field Editor Rodney Thrash.

As celebrity cook Paula Deen prepares for Wednesday's appearance on NBC's "Today" show, a cousin who lives in Cobb County is coming to her defense.

Questioned last month in a discrimination lawsuit, Deen admitted that she used the n-word years ago, prompting the Food Network and Smithfield Foods to sever ties with Deen.

Johnnie Gabriel, owner of Gabriel's Desserts on Whitlock Avenue in Marietta, told the Marietta Daily Journal that her cousin "is very caring about the people around her."

"I’ve seen her meet people, seen her meet strangers, and always she is very caring and receptive," Gabriel told the MDJ.

Deen, who was a no-show for last week's scheduled interview with the "Today" show's Matt Lauer, posted several apologies on YouTube on Friday. The same day, the Food Network announced that it would not renew Deen's contract, which runs out at the end of the month.

Today, Smithfield Foods dumped Deen, who served as the company's spokeswoman, according to the Washington Post.