The May 1st episode of Celebrity Apprentice was full of twists, network interruption and drama! DRAMA BABY! But let’s sift through it all as best as we can….
We start with Star Jones and NeNe Leakes coming back to the suite to join the rest of our celebs after the firing of La Toya Jackson. Star tells the camera, “I’m tough and I am strategic. I am gonna work really hard to let somebody else lead and I am gonna bring my A game, as always.” NeNe looks dejected and tells everyone she hates to see anyone leave after they have all bonded.
NeNe then told the camera, “When Star did what she did to La Toya in the boardroom, I really was like I want to stay and kick Star’s ass, I am gonna figure it out how am I going to f!#!$ Star up. And I am.”
WATCH: STAR JONES CALLS OBAMA’S INTERRUPTION OF CELEBRITY APPRENTICE A “PIMP MOVE!”
For this week’s task, the teams had to produce a live hair show featuring hairstyling products by Farouk Hair System products and Farouk hair stylists. Trump said hair is the most important way to make celebrities look beautiful, then laughed and said he has been abused for years about his hair but he doesn’t think it’s that bad.
Lil Jon was horrified, “I got dreads, I don’t know anything about doggone hair shows!” And since John Rich was exempt from having to lead (he lead and won last week), Lil Jon and Meatloaf did Rock Paper Scissors to decide who between them should lead. No lie. I don’t joke about that. Right in front of The Donald and Farouk Shami, the head of Farouk Systems (Maker of Biosilk and Chi). Lil Jon lost and had to be project manager.
NENE & STAR JONES COME TO BLOWS
NeNe told Trump Star wants her to lead, so, NeNe said even though she knows Star has “bad intentions” and being “strategic to throw her under the bus” she was going to lead anyway. NeNe then stared Star down (Star did not look back at NeNe) and said, “It’s all good, It’s all going down!”
Star defended herself to Trump without responding directly to NeNe by saying she thought leading would be a good opportunity for NeNe to win money for her charity. NeNe got in Star’s face as Star started to back away. “You did not think that and you did not say that. I know how you think, I know how you play the game,” NeNe yelled in Star’s face. “This is not The Real Housewives,” Star said as she kept backing away and looking at the Trumps to stop the madness. “Who are you to step in and tell someone when to be project manager, who are you? I will take you down while the rest of these girls will look at you and be scared,” NeNe shouted.
“I’m the girl that is not scared. You pressed the last button in me Ms. Star Jones and I will do what the rest of these girls won’t!” She then called Hope Star’s “puppet.” “Wow!” is all Star could say, now having put Hope Dworaczyk and Marlee Matlin in between her and NeNe. BUT, NeNe said she wanted to be on Star’s side now too and came over and started harassing Star again.
Trump asked how this all started. NeNe said it started from the beginning but that she was going to put a stop to the “bullshit manipulation.” Meat Loaf looked like he was going to die of discomfort and the other two ladies just stood there motionless, staring at Trump.
NeNe would not let up. “You talk a good game, now bring your street game cause that’s what I am bringing. Now where is Barbara Walters, Ms. ‘I am so educated!’ How educated are you on the street?” Lil Jon finally interrupted and said. “It’s getting hot in here!” That ended the madness. Temporarily.
Star explained to the camera why she remained silent during the verbal attack on her: “This is not the Atlanta Housewives and I was bound and determined to show America the difference in the way an educated black woman handles herself under stress and the way someone who is not handles stress.”
After Trump and his gang were gone, NeNe went after Star again – “Don’t you ever play me like that again!” Star said, “I don’t do this, I don’t do threats.” She then begged NeNe to explain why she was so mad at her. And all NeNe could say is, “Shut the F%@ up, punk ass bitch.”
OK–seriously, I need a break. This was extremely hard to watch and summarize.
WORKING ON THE TASK
Back to the “G-A-M-E.” The men knew they had unity on their side, but felt at a disadvantage against the women on a hair task until John Rich came up with a brilliant idea! What did he come up with? Bring back the fired Nikki Taylor to have her hair done on the men’s hair show. When the men called her, Nikki said without hesitation, “I’m in! I can’t believe the girls didn’t call me.”
Back to the women, NeNe told her team she knew things had started bumpy but asked them to come together and work. Not sure how the women could unite that quickly considering NeNe had just attacked all three of them in front of the boss–and the client. Hope told the camera she was turned off by NeNe and could not respect her as a leader. Star had a better attitude and knew they all had to work together and finish the task. The women came up with the theme of “Shake Your Beauty!” and the ice seemed broken as the women started shaking their hair left and right and all around and laughing together.
The men met with Farouk Shami and he told them his motto is “be safe, be beautiful and buy American.” He told the women to surprise him when NeNe said she wanted to do something different.
Men had a hard time settling on a theme for the show and Meat Loaf kept getting distracted. They knew they had to focus on “America” because that is what Farouk stressed upon, so they came up with “Feeling Good in America” as their focus for the show.
The women started getting along better. At least at face value. NeNe asked Hope to be the model. Hope told the camera she is tired of being the model even though that is her job in real life but knew she had to oblige because NeNe is a “vicious evil woman.”
Lil Jon was killing me. He took the models clothes shopping and said, “I feel like a pimp walking through Lord & Taylor!” He kept strutting through the high-end conservative store saying “pimp pimp!” LOVE HIM! Thanks for the laughs Lil Jon during such a harsh episode!
Hope and Marlee went shopping for the women. Hope said it was hard for her not to mentally check out when she was yelled at by NeNe. She then added it was hard for her to shop for someone else and not buy something for herself. So, she got preoccupied with shopping for herself and disappeared on Marlee.
At the salon, the men and women had to work in close proximity of each other. Star was in one corner working on the graphics. Somehow, this made NeNe go off on Star again to the camera, calling Star fat, evil, and dirty. “You may have lost weight on the outside, but your brain is still fat.” Huh?
Nikki walked into the salon and the men egged her on to go say hello to her old teammates. Nikki sprung the news on the women that she was helping the men and NeNe took it quite well even though she did not find it “cool.” Agreed. But it’s hilarious and quite genius on the men’s part. Star called Niki a “persona non grata” to the camera. Hope was confused by Nikki’s action and Marlee said, “I consider Nikki a friend. That would be a betrayal.”
Well, not only did Nikki help the men’s team by agreeing to be a model, she also, on her own, reached out to three of NY’s top models and got them to help as well. WOW! This is getting dirty darling Nikki!
The women were late to the salon on the day of the show and NeNe was mad that the stylists would get stressed when she’s late. “RELAX, can’t a bitch be late one time?” she asked the camera.
HAIR SHOW DAY
At the show, NeNe did a so-so job as the emcee. The dancers that Star had hired did a great job. So did Marlee as a hair model. NeNe said she always liked Marlee and could tell she was going beyond the call of duty serving as a hair model. About Hope‘s modeling on stage, on the other hand, NeNe thought she looked “stupid” and like “big bird.” NeNe said if she loses the task, fire will go down on Star and Hope.
The men’s show started dead with “holes you could drive a truck through,” as Meat Loaf described. But once Nikki stepped on stage, the energy changed. They finished the show strong by ending on a Mardi Gras party theme.
Donald asked Star if she would like NeNe or Hope on her team moving forward. Star said it would depend on whether she and NeNe could resolve the tension cutting at the two. She said she feels bad that NeNe despises her. NeNe said she does not want to work with anyone who is not decent or loyal.
Marlee said, “Sometimes NeNe scares me..” And NeNe cut her off, “When did that start?” Marlee admitted, “Yesterday morning I was a little scared.” Star also said she was worried that the verbal attack could have turned physical and NeNe said she would never physically attack Star. Marlee said she had the utmost respect for NeNe and found her loyal and honest. She said she does not think NeNe is “violent” but thinks she is verbally abusive. Star said she was not physically afraid of NeNe yesterday but was afraid that she herself could not maintain her dignity. NeNe asked Star if backstabbing is dignified and Star said she is not a backstabber. NeNe then asked, “Why is your reputation the way it is?” Hope rolled her eyes at the question and Lil Jon just dropped his head.
Donald said Star has a great reputation. But NeNe said most people she knows do not like Star.
Moving on to the men. They felt strong on their work. About Nikki, John said it was his idea to hire her help because he had become good friends with her through the show. “The most beautiful bright woman I know is Nikki Taylor and I thought she would be perfect [for a hair show which we the men knew nothing about.”]
Lil Jon said he had no weak player on his team and when challenged by Donald as to whom he would blame if they lost, Jon said confidently, ” We’re not going to lose…I know we did not lose.” And you know what? He was right.
Donald asked La Toya who her friend was between NeNe and Star and La Toya said NeNe. She also called Star a backstabber. She also called Hope a “follower.” Donald called out Hope for not defending herself even though NeNe had also accused her of the same thing.
Back in the suite, the men and La Toya celebrated and John said of La Toya, “What a boost for our team!” Lil Jon said La Toya will mesh well with their team.
Back to the boardroom, Donald said both NeNe and Star are “nice” people. Donald asked NeNe why her team had lost. NeNe said her fault was that she waited too long to speak up to Star and when she figured out Star was being strategic and manipulative about wanting NeNe to be project manager, she lost it. NeNe said Hope or Star should be fired. “Hope is just weak. What do you guys need her here for? She’s just gonna be an intern. She’s just gonna let Star eat her up. And Star is gonna throw her in here next week.”
Hope then tried to defend herself by saying she lead better than NeNe when she was project manager. And then said she found it “interesting” that NeNe’s charity is one to help victims of domestic violence when she verbally abused Star. Ivanka cut her off and said it would be more beneficial if Hope just stuck with defending herself rather than Star. Her answer, “I don’t think I have been a follower of Star. I think I have done what I have been told by a project manager.”
Star said she wants Marlee on her team moving forward. Donald asked, who else. Star picked Hope because she wants her team to pull together. But also said if NeNe does not feel attacked, she is “one of the hardest workers” she has ever met. Trump asked Marley who she wants on her team moving forward. Marlee said moving forward, she would least like to have NeNe because she was project manager. Ivanka pressed Marlee, “That’s not what my father asked.” Marlee then said she’d rather have NeNe than Hope.
NeNe sent Marlee back to the suite and brought back Hope and Star to the boardroom. Star said she should not be fired because she “sucked it up and contributed to the task.” She said the barrage of attacks was meant to humble her and she was. NeNe said “I do think Star is a hard worker and she is very smart. I just don’t like the way she plays the game.”
Hope said she does not feel manipulated. She just feels Star is bossy and that’s her personality. Hope said NeNe should be fired because she was the project manager, raised her voice in front of the client and did not do a good job as host.
NeNe said Hope should be fired. “I am gonna keep it real because she is not a strong player and Star will walk all over her.” Hope then brought up the fact that NeNe had called La Toya “Casper the Ghost.” Donald asked Hope what she thought about La Toya having just said NeNe is her friend and Hope had no answer for that.
Donald asked Star if she cared if he fired NeNe or Hope. Star said the dynamics with Hope would not bring extra stress to the team. She added if NeNe and her could work out the complete animosity between them, “then I say keep NeNe.” NeNe looked at Trump triumphantly.
Donald then said, “In all fairness, I think that Hope has been very much under the radar. I have a great deal of respect for Hope. She is young. She’s beautiful. I think you have an amazing career ahead of you. I think this show is going to make you a big big star. A really big star. I must say however that these two [Star and NeNe], if they they could ever get going, they will be impossible to stop. And you don’t seem tough enough to go against them. It’s just not your world. Hope, you’re fired.”
As NeNe and Star walked out, NeNe said she wanted to talk to Star. The two looked contentious yet again, though they did shake hands. I have a bad feeling about this…
Hope said in her ride to who knows where, “It’s something cool to be fired by Trump.”
On the trailer for next week, it looks like more fireworks between NeNe and Star will be coming our way- “Game on!” It will be NeNe vs. Star, round two. And Meat Loaf is seen crying. There will be two tasks next week and three more will be fired. The show will start an hour earlier than usual.
Watch Hope being fired in the video clip below. If you want to watch the FULL 5/1 EPISODE, click here.