• Donald Trump offers payday for the latest 'Celebrity Apprentice' loser

    NBC

    Donald Trump.

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Has tough boardroom boss Donald Trump gone soft? Well, if his grand gesture at the end of Sunday's episode of "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice" is anything to go by, then the answer is yes!

    It all happened after Team Power lost yet another challenge. When tasked with creating an engaging tourism campaign for South Africa, it was Brande Roderick who led the team to a loss against Plan B's superior ad.

    Trump, with this week's boardroom advisor -- former contestant Bret Michaels -- by his side, grilled Roderick about the failure and her odd choice to have Marilu Henner and Trace Adkins face the firing squad with her.

    "You're with two people who don't deserve to be fired, wouldn't you agree?" Trump said.

    Roderick admitted he had a point.


    "You know what that means, right?" he asked.

    Of course, everyone in the boardroom knew what that meant. Roderick was toast. But no sooner had Trump fired her than Adkins made a special request.

    "Give her some money!" the singer said. "She didn't win nothing."

    Yes, despite the fact that Roderick raised plenty of money in the game, she didn't raise any for her charity, Promises 2 Kids -- a non-profit that helps abused and neglected foster children.

    Hearing that, Trump decided to forgo the usual money-goes-to-winners way of the game and offered to give Roderick's worthy charity $20,000 just because.

    What do you think of Trump's last-minute charitable contribution -- was he breaking the rules of the boardroom battle or just bending them for a good cause? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice' sees major 'Power' shift

    Douglas Gorenstein/NBC

    Trace Adkins led Team Power to a long-awaited win.

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Finally! After losing all but one task in the first six weeks of the competition, Team Power turned things around on "Celebrity Apprentice" Sunday night.

    Of course, to be fair, Team Power is now made up of equal parts original members and former Plan B'ers who were forced to switch, and the once-failing team owes its victory to one of the latter players.  

    Trace Adkins served as project manager for Power, and came up with a company-pleasing campaign for sun care products -- one that required him to dress up as a comical, sunburnt caveman. His not-so-stiff competition?

    Heading up Team Plan B was none other than Gary Busey, and his first stint as project manager went about as well as one might expect.

    OK, maybe even a little better. Busey somehow avoided alienating the clients with his goofy antics, and even offered up a sun-and-fun ad that they liked. But it was light on one important element: the product.


    So it was back to the boardroom for Busey, who decided to bring along Stephen Baldwin, the director of the team's somewhat-flubbed ad, as well as Penn Jillette, who… well, didn't do anything wrong.

    "Penn, go," Trump said, refusing to even consider firing the magician.

    As for Baldwin vs. Busey, Trump used Baldwin's own words to make his decision.

    "You said (Gary) did an amazing job, Stephen," the boss pointed out.

    Trump wasn't about to fire someone who did 'an amazing job,' so it was bye-bye Baldwin.

    What did you think of Team Power's turnaround? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • Fired 'Celebrity Apprentice' Omarosa: Piers Morgan is 'creepy' and 'obsessed'

    TODAY

    Omarosa.

    By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

    Omarosa is not to be trifled with -- anyone who's seen her on a reality show should know that by now. But that didn't stop her fellow contestants on "Celebrity Apprentice" from getting her ire up. Fired on Sunday night, Omarosa came away from the show with a lawsuit aimed at fellow contestant La Toya Jackson, and is now leveling accusations of "obsessed" and "creepy" at boardroom advisor Piers Morgan.

    "I have never seen a judge stalk a contestant the way (Morgan) stalked me this season," she told TODAY's Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb on Tuesday. "Look how he is, it's not make-believe. He is obsessed. It's really creepy."

    As for the La Toya lawsuit, that's not just words; though Jackson has expressed regret at suggesting that Omarosa was responsible for the death of her beau Michael Clarke Duncan, Omarosa is not letting it go -- she's suing.

    (Jackson's statements on the show included: "Omarosa's fiance passed away not long ago. He had a heart attack, I'm sure she gave it to him" and "She’s a conniving, scheming, cut-throat, probably pulled the cord on Michael Duncan Clarke (sic) … and I thought Mr. Trump was falling for that fake cry. Such a lie!")

    "I think it's the ugliest statement ever made in the history of reality TV," said Omarosa. "When you mess with the legacy of a man who was just so kind and so sweet ... it has to be corrected."


    Still, Omarosa is surprised she didn't get pink-slipped earlier. "Oh, I should have been fired, like week two," she chuckled. "I made a big move early in the game, taking out Brett Michaels ... and I think the other contestants thought, 'If she can take out Brett Michaels, she'll all of us out.' So they came together to try and get rid of me."

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  • 'Celebrity Apprentice' shocker: Donald Trump finally fires …

    NBC

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Could it be? Did it actually happen? After weeks of hearing obviously intimidated project managers complain about how "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice" villain Omarosa should be sacked (although not one of them ever brought her back to face the big boss), did someone finally have the guts to put her on the chopping block?

    Yes!

    But the credit doesn't all go to Team Power's latest pm, Lil Jon. The man who really deserves a share of the bragging rights is none other than boardroom advisor Piers Morgan.

    Back in January, the former "Apprentice" champ told the Clicker that he was all too happy to set his sights on Omarosa.

    "When Donald Trump asked me to be his boardroom adviser on two of the new 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice' challenges, I realized this would give me a unique opportunity to get Omarosa fired all over again," he said. "I saw it as a public duty on behalf of all Americans."

    Well, he made good on that duty Sunday night, warning her team just what they were up against with her.

    "My advice to the rest of the team is to treat Omarosa like a sleeping crocodile," he explained. "Remember: One false move, she will bite your hand off, your leg off and if she can get it, your head."

    In the boardroom, Morgan was just as ruthless, reminding Team Power and Trump just who the problem player was -- again and again.


    "I have a right to fight for my life in this game as much as anyone else," Omarosa said when she felt particularly attacked by Morgan.

    "And I have a right to extinguish it if I can," he shot back.

    And with a little help from Lil Wayne and a lot of help from Trump, he did just that.

    "Omarosa, I adore you. We've had tremendous success together," Trump said, adding that her performance in the first season of "The Apprentice" helped make him a star. But all the same, "You're fired."

    Are you happy about the latest boardroom boot? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • 'Apprentice' feud heads to court: Omarosa suing 'demented' La Toya Jackson

    Douglas Gorenstein/NBC

    Omarosa and La Toya Jackson faced off in the boardroom. Will they face off in a courtroom too?

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    A couple of low-blow lines from one star during a tense episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" could go far beyond the made-for-TV boardroom.

    Former all-star contestant La Toya Jackson lashed out at her in-game adversary Omarosa, and blamed the returning "Apprentice" villain for the death of actor Michael Clarke Duncan, who was engaged to Omarosa at the time of his fatal heart attack in Sept. 2012.

    Now Omarosa wants payback -- in court.

    Howard Stern, who spoke to Omarosa on his show Tuesday morning, asked her if she was really threatening to sue Jackson.

    "Not threatening," she assured. "I'm going to. She said really nasty things about Michael."

    For instance?

    "She said, 'He had a heart attack, and I know that she caused it,'" Omarosa recalled. "'He was on life support, and she went and pulled the plug.'"

    Well close. As for the latter comment, what Jackson actually said was, '(Omarosa's) a no good, conniving, scheming, cutthroat -- probably pulled the cord on Michael Duncan Clarke (sic)."

    Still, Omarosa's point stands, although Stern questioned whether or not it was really actionable.

    "It is actionable, if she repeats it," Omarosa countered. "It's called a 'reckless disregard of the truth.' So she said it in October when she first taped the show. She repeated it, subsequently, on all of these talk shows."

    One of the shows Jackson visited after her "Apprentice" ouster was TODAY, where she explained that she had "no clue" about any lawsuit from Omarosa. As for her comments about the late actor's death, she said "I didn't mean it that way at all -- not at all."

    But when she later showed up on Andy Cohen's "Watch What Happens Live," Jackson seemed to defend her comments.


    "I think I must have said I wouldn't be surprised ... if she probably would (have removed Duncan from life support)," she hedged. "And that was a statement because everybody knows, that was working on the ('Apprentice') team, how she tried to sabotage everything."

    So the suit is moving forward. When Stern asked specifically what Omarosa planned to sue for, she said the case was first and foremost about emotional distress.

    "I mean, do you really want people to think that you harmed the person you love?" she responded.

    That's when Stern asked the question that Jackson already attempted to answer.

    "For the record, did you pull the plug on (him)?"

    "God, no," Omarosa shot back. "I loved that man."

    So she now plans to see her former "Celebrity Apprentice" teammate, who she called "sick and demented," in court.

    "I gave her time to retract it, and now we'll both be spending money on lawyers," Omarosa promised.

    Do you think Jackson's comments were worthy of a lawsuit? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • Donald Trump shocked by 'stupid decision' about Omarosa on 'Apprentice'

    NBC

    Omarosa made it through yet another episode of the boardroom competition.

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Is it too soon to crown Omarosa the winner of the all-star season of "Celebrity Apprentice"? Sure, she might not be the strongest player, and she's already employed some of her signature low-blow tactics, but the reality TV villain has what it takes to make it to the end -- at least if the current boardroom trend continues.

    On Sunday night, for the second week in a row, Omarosa was arguably the weakest link on Team Power, and the project manager wasn't shy about saying so. And despite that fact, for the second week in a row, the project manager didn't bring her back to the boardroom for a shot at getting fired.

    What gives? Why would project manager Claudia Jordon make the same mistake that sent La Toya Jackson packing before her? Not even the big boss had the answer to that question.


    "In the history of ‘The Apprentice' -- 13 seasons, top show -- I’ve been surprised, really, a few times," Donald Trump said. "The most surprised ever, EVER was when Omarosa didn't get brought back in the last one with La Toya. That was shocking. I think the second (most shocking) is that you didn't bring back Omarosa (this time). … I think it’s a stupid decision."

    But that wasn't Claudia's only stupid decision on Sunday night's show. In addition to not bringing Omarosa back, she thought it would be a good idea to put Lil Jon on the chopping block -- the man executives called the star of the most recent challenge.

    Ultimately, it wasn't really important who Claudia picked to stand beside her. According to Trump, it wouldn't have changed her fate.

    "If Omarosa were brought back, it wouldn't have mattered," he insisted. "You're the project manager, you failed."

    So Claudia was fired.

    Do you think Omarosa will ever get fired on "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice"? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • 'Apprentice' regret: La Toya Jackson 'didn't mean' to blame Omarosa for actor's death

    By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

    On "Celebrity Apprentice," as in life, you do not underestimate Omarosa Manigault. Unfortunately, on Sunday's "Celebrity Apprentice," La Toya Jackson learned that a little too late.

    And she had plenty of regrets and mea culpas to offer during her chat with TODAY's Natalie Morales Tuesday morning. First off, Jackson does recognize she made a mistake in not bringing Manigault back to face Donald Trump: "I certainly do, I regret it very much so," she said. "I think if I had to do it again, of course I would definitely bring her back to the boardroom."

    Still, she's doubtful that would have changed anything. "I truly believe that he fell for the crocodile tears," said Jackson. "I also believe that he wouldn't have gotten rid of her.... I kept thinking, 'You know, if I were a producer, I'd keep her in the show to keep the mess going.'"

    But things may not be over between the two women; Jackson's statements on the show post-firing ("Omarosa's fiance passed away not long ago. He had a heart attack, I'm sure she gave it to him" and "She’s a conniving, scheming, cut-throat, probably pulled the cord on Michael Duncan Clarke [sic] … and I thought Mr. Trump was falling for that fake cry. Such a lie!") put her back in Omarosa's cross-hairs.


    The late actor Michael Clarke Duncan was engaged to Manigault when he passed in 2012.

    The remaining "Apprentice" contestant's lawyer has called those statements "defamatory," and Morales asked Jackson about the potential lawsuit.

    "I haven't received anything (from Omarosa's lawyer) from that, so I have no clue. I think Michael is a wonderful person," she said, and added that she was misunderstood in what she said about Omarosa. "I didn't mean it that way at all, not at all," she said. "He's a sweet guy. He was."

    Stay tuned; the drama may be continuing far past the boardroom on this one.

    "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice" airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on NBC.

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  • Omarosa and La Toya Jackson get 'mean and nasty' on 'Celebrity Apprentice'

    Douglas Gorenstein/NBC

    Omarosa and La Toya Jackson battle in the boardroom.

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Just days before the season premiere of "Celebrity Apprentice," boardroom boss Donald Trump told TODAY that fans could expect the all-star showdown to get as "mean and nasty" as ever before -- he just didn't say that the meanest and nastiest behavior of all would be packed into the third episode. Of course, anyone who tuned in Sunday night knows that now.

    Team Power and Team Plan B faced off in a challenge that had something to do with Crystal Light and soap stars, but who could really pay attention to that when the faceoff between Power's project manager, La Toya Jackson, and resident villain Omarosa was so much more interesting?

    From the start, the two women clashed, with Omarosa attempting to dominate project planning, and Jackson struggling to get control. That's when the trouble took off.

    Employing her usual never-stop-talking approach, Omarosa slammed Jackson for suggesting she, well, stop talking. Eventually, Jackson vied for the villain title, delivering a stunning low-blow aside about the contestant who was once engaged to late actor Michael Clarke Duncan.

    "He had a heart attack," Jackson said, adding, "I'm sure she gave it to him."

    Not cool.

    After the blowup, Omarosa missed much of the project, leaving to deal with a personal "emergency" (the release of the 911 tapes from her fiancé's death), though no one bought her excuse.

    When Team Power returned to the boardroom and inevitably lost the challenge, Jackson made a special request from the big boss.

    "Can you give me the liberty and the opportunity, for the first time, to fire somebody on my team since I was the project manager?" she asked, making no secret about the "witch" she planned to cut.

    But Trump wasn't going to surrender that honor to anyone else. Instead, Jackson had to go along with the usual routine and pick two teammates to face the firing squad with her. The shocker was that, after all hubbub, she didn't pick Omarosa.

    Her choices -- Dennis Rodman and Brande Roderick -- sealed her fate.

    "You made a terrible choice when you didn't bring back Omarosa, because I think I probably would have fired Omarosa," Trump told her. "La Toya, you're fired!"

    Whose side were you on in the boardroom battle? Tell us on our Facebook page.

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  • Omarosa breaks down in tears on 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice'

    NBC

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    Sunday marked an unusually emotional night in the boardroom, as the all-stars found out who won the latest challenge on "Celebrity Apprentice," and who lost a chance to go on in the competition.

    Following a photo-booth battle, the two teams -- one led by villain Omarosa and the other by rocker Dee Snider -- faced off before the big boss. They delivered their arguments, and Donald Trump delivered his decision.

    "Dee, congratulations," he said with a grin before adding, "You lost!"

    With that brutal fake-out out of the way, Omarosa celebrated her victory with tears -- lots of tears. After all, with the win, she nabbed $40,000 for The Sue Duncan Children's Center in honor of her former fiancé, late actor Michael Clarke Duncan.

    "You're going to ruin your image," Trump said of the always-tough and rarely-likable player as her tears continued to flow.

    As for her teammates, they thought her reaction was right in line with her image.

    "That's like an Oscar winner over there," Dennis Rodman said of his weeping leader.


    La Toya Jackson put it plainly.

    "I truly believe she's using this … to manipulate herself through the game," she said. "Omarosa believes that she's getting away with this little game that she's pulling and thinks that nobody's on to her."

    As for Dee's team, they weren't too concerned about the emotional outburst. They just wanted to know who was going home.

    After one more fake-out ("Penn, you're fired! I'm only kidding"), Trump sent Dee packing.

    What did you think of Sunday night's action? Do you believe Omarosa's tears were real or just part of her plan? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

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  • Piers Morgan: It was 'a public duty' to try to get Omarosa fired from 'Celebrity Apprentice'

    Mario Anzuoni / Reuters file

    Piers Morgan, who won the first "Celebrity Apprentice," advises Donald Trump in the upcoming all-star season.

    By Anna Chan, TODAY

    PASADENA, Calif. -- "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice" contestant Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth didn't hide her distaste for challenge adviser Piers Morgan when talking to reporters at the Television Critics Association's winter press tour Sunday morning, calling him "so nasty." She also accused the former champ of returning to the show "solely to torture" her.

    It's a claim that Morgan doesn't dispute.

    "When Donald Trump asked me to be his boardroom adviser on two of the new 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice' challenges, I realized this would give me a unique opportunity to get Omarosa fired all over again," he told The Clicker Monday. "I saw it as a public duty on behalf of all Americans."

    Omarosa knows she's come across as the bad guy on previous seasons of "The Apprentice" she participated in, but feels Morgan went overboard in his attacks on her. She had agreed to appear in the new season of the show to honor the legacy of her fiance, actor Michael Clarke Duncan, by trying to raise money for his charity, the Sue Duncan Children's Center. The "Green Mile" star was 54 when he died on Sept. 3. He had been an alumni of the charity.

    "During my task where I was raising money for one fundraiser task, (Morgan) repeatedly said, 'Why is she here, Donald (Trump)? Why do you have her here? She doesn’t deserve to be here,' " Omarosa told The Clicker. "And I’m like, 'I deserve to be here because I’m fighting for Michael’s charity.' He’s like, 'Oh use that. Say that.'"

    Omarosa, who said she was still grieving over Duncan's passing during filming, said Morgan's treatment of her became so "vulgar" some of her cast mates spoke up on her behalf. "They had to step up and tell producers and Donald and the other people to say, 'Enough is enough,' " Omarosa said. "Marilu (Henner) was probably the biggest one who went and lobbied that it just went too far."

    NBC has not yet responded to a request for comment.

    As tough as her experience was working with Morgan on "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice," Omarosa said it was worth it in the end.


    "Seeing the faces of those kids (at the Sue Duncan Children's Center) made all the hell that Piers put me through, all the insults and his put downs, the long hours, the stress ... when I saw the faces of those kids ... I mean, that made it all worth while," she told us. "I knew that Michael was smiling down and he was very proud of me."

    “All-Star Celebrity Apprentice” premieres March 3 at 9 p.m. on NBC.

    Do you think it was fair for Piers Morgan to single out Omarosa, or is it all part of the game? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page!

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  • Omarosa: Piers Morgan 'was so nasty' on 'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice'

    NBC

    Omarosa on "All-Star Celebrity Apprentice."

    By Anna Chan, TODAY

    Get ready for drama in the first ever “All-Star Celebrity Apprentice.” And unsurprisingly to fans of the competition, it sounds like a lot of the excitement will revolve around Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth.

    “I fight with everybody,” she told reporters during the TV Critics winter press tour in Pasadena, Calif., on Sunday. More specifically, “Lil Jon had to break up all the fights between me and crazy a-- LaToya Jackson,” she stated. (Jackson did not attend the event.)

    Old feuds will be reignited as well.

    “Omarosa and Piers Morgan, they don’t like each other. Still,” said Lil Jon, who finished fourth in “Celebrity Apprentice 4.”

    “(Morgan) said he came back this season solely to torture me, and that’s what he did, episode after episode,” said Omarosa, who finished in eighth place in season one of “The Apprentice,” and first faced off against Morgan in season seven, the first celebrity edition. “Piers is a mean, nasty person. He was so nasty. I'm not exaggerating.”

    Returning competitor Stephen Baldwin backed her to an extent. “It goes without saying, Piers is Piers,” he said. “He’s kind of good at getting in there and annoying people and causing a little bit of controversy.”

    Morgan, who was not present at Sunday’s panel, isn’t returning to try to win the $250,000 grand prize for a charity of his choice, but instead, as the winner of the first “Celebrity Apprentice,” he’s back to advise boss Donald Trump.

    Baldwin, who finished in fifth place in his season, said one of the “coolest” things about this all-star cast was that everyone had played before. But that didn’t make things exactly peachy. “For me there was a level of terror involved because the only person that I really liked during this process was (country star) Trace (Adkins),” he said. “It is the psychology of it. The only people I trusted was … no one.”

    For Omarosa, that “no one” included Baldwin himself. “He came in on day one, his mind was turning,” she said of her fellow competitor. “You know what his approach was? Stephen Baldwin will stab you in the front as opposed to the back! You watch!”

    Adkins, who was the runner-up in the first “Celebrity Apprentice,” isn’t a fan of all the drama. “(Participating in the show) puts me in a position where I’m forced to tolerate individuals I wouldn’t normally tolerate. I don’t live my life like that,” he said. “I don’t like to spend time around people I abhor.”


    But he also added that it wasn’t quite like that this second time around. “This (show) at least has a shred of nobility because of the charitable aspect. That’s the only reason I even consider doing stuff like this,” he said.

    Executive producer Page Feldman said the show raised about $3 million dollars.

    “About $30 went to charity,” joked Penn Jillette.

    “All-Star Celebrity Apprentice” premieres March 3 at 9 p.m. on NBC. Other contestants include Gary Busy, Lisa Rinna, Marilu Henner, Brett Michaels, Dee Snider, Claudia Jordan and Brande Roderick.

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