NeNe: Celebrity Apprentice Was 'Toxic' for Me

NeNe Leakes never had second thoughts about quitting Celebrity Apprentice. It all just got to be too much, she says.

"I don't regret it. I felt very good about it. I always do what my gut tells me to do," the Real Housewives of Atlanta star says in an interview airing Wednesday on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

She adds: "I'm a grown woman, and nobody makes decisions for me. I make my own decisions. It was a toxic situation for me."

Particularly poisonous, of course, was her feud with Star Jones. In an episode two weeks ago, Leakes unloaded on Jones in front of a client, then walked off the show. She doesn't regret that either, but admits it didn't need to get that ugly.

"I needed to get it out," she says. "I wish I could have maybe had a different delivery, maybe better word choices, but I'm OK with it. I felt she deserved it. I know everybody in Hollywood knows I'm telling the truth [about Jones]."

Of course, things evened out this past week, when Donald Trump fired Jones. "When I said on the show yesterday that Star got fired, there were applauses in the audience," says DeGeneres. "People were thrilled that Star got fired."

To which Leakes replies: "Yeah, let's clap about it."

Credit: PEOPLE (Tim Nudd)

Friends Applaud NeNe For Quitting 'Apprentice'

With celebrities, respected journalists and interest groups lobbing the racist label at Donald Trump, friends of Nene Leakes tell Rob Shuter of Pop Eater that quitting Celebrity Apprentice in a shocking -- and low-rated -- episode on Sunday was a smart, principled move.

"Everything will ultimately work out for NeNe," a friend of the Real Housewives of Atlanta star tells him. "In the long run she was much better off to quit and walk away than get a job with Donald Trump."

It should be noted that each celebrity is playing to raise money for their charity rather than get a job within Trump's organization. It should also be noted that the Celebrity Apprentice you're seeing on Sundays was taped months ago, before The Donald's now-floundering bid for the White House and string of attacks on President Obama that many believe reek of racism.

CBS news anchor Bob Schieffer hit Donald recently after he raised doubts about President Obama's school grades. "That's just code for saying he got into law school because he's black," he said. "This is an ugly strain of racism that's running through this whole thing."

Jerry Seinfeld, Bill Cosby, Robert De Niro, Rosie O'Donnell and David Letterman have also spoken out.

The political advocacy group Color of Change has called on all black cast members to boycott the show and one fired "applicant" told Shuter that they would shun the finale if their contract didn't stipulate they had to be there.

On Monday morning, Donald appeared on FOX News to try and dispel the charges he's racist.

"I am the least racist person there is," he said. "And I think most people who know me would tell you that. I am the least racist, I've had great relationships."

NeNe's fellow 'Housewife' (well, from NYC) Ramona Singer isn't buying it.

"Well, anyone who makes a racist remark is showing their opinion and where their mind is at," Ramona tells him.

Credit: Pop Eater (Rob Shuter)

Miss California 2009 Pictures causes Shanna Moakler to Resign

Miss California 2009 Pictures causes Shanna Moakler to Resign.

Seems part of the press conference of Miss California keeping her crown was not as happy as every one seemed. Shanna Moakler resigned her pos ition as co director of the Miss California pageant. Seems Shanna did not agree with Donald Trumps decision not to strip Carrie Prejean’s crown.

Seems to me she would have taken the high road as Carrie Prejean was demonstrating and sticking to her core values. But Shanna Moakler did not do that she just smiled and acted as if everything was fine. Then she just quiet. Apparently she did not agree with the decision and did not think the Miss California 2009 pictures where fine as Donald Trump remarked.

Just one day after the Donald dismissed Moakler’s urgings to strip Prejean of her Miss California title and announced that the controversial beauty queen would remain the face of the Golden State, Moakler has resigned as the organization’s co-executive director.

"Since the press conference yesterday, I had a chance to think about what has taken place, and I feel that at this time it is in my best interest to resign from the Miss California USA organization," Moakler said in a statement this morning.

"I cannot with a clear conscious move forward supporting and promoting the Miss Universe Organization when I no longer believe in it, or the contracts I signed committing myself as a youth."

I say good riddance. All these small minded people need to all get out of positions of authority. Anyone should realize by now these events have absolutely nothing to do with the Miss California 2009 pictures and more about her stance on gay marriage. These people where determined to make Miss California suffer for her stance, but since Miss California won this small battle, then Shanna Moakler could not take it.

Ms California Carrie Prejean apparently took some racy photos when she was younger and now these pictures of Carrie Prejean have surfaced on the internet. According to Carrie Prejean the pictures are designed to embarrass her for her stance on same sex marriage.

Carrie Prejean caused a big ruckus with a lot of bloggers when she said marriage should be between a man and a women. Personally, I agree with Carrie ( Miss California) on this matter, but why are we spending so many news cycles on this matter. We have more important things to worry about such as swine flu and the failing economy.

Prejean announced last week that she would star in a new $1.5 million ad campaign supporting what she called "opposite marriage" (marriage between a man and a woman) funded by the National Organization for Marriage.

"Marriage is good," Prejean said at a news conference announcing the ad campaign. "There is something special about unions of husband and wife. Unless we bring men and women together, children will not have mothers and fathers."

Carla Bruni - new album on the web ???

Carla Bruni has unveiled her third album online

Carla Bruni has surprised fans by putting her new album on the internet today ahead of its feverishly anticipated release.

All 14 tracks from the French first lady’s album, Comme si de rien n'était (Simply), went up on her website at 8.30 GMT this morning, allowing fans to listen for free for up to two hours, until July 21, to her breathy love songs.

The former supermodel, 40, has been at the centre of a media storm since it was revealed that lyrics on the album told of her 30 past lovers and compared President Sarkozy to A class drugs.

Carla Bruni

The Colombian government protested over her singing of love “more deadly than Afghan heroin, more deadly than Colombian white," and eyebrows were raised over the references to her past lovers, who include Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton and Donald Trump.

Responding to the press circus, Naïve records, who have been working closely with Elysée Palace on the marketing campaign, pushed the launch date forward from July 21 to July 11.

But this morning, as Bruni gave her first promotional interview, she followed the trend started by Radiohead in unveiling her new album online.

Carla Bruni goes down a storm at a concert in Paris in 2004
– but how will her new album fare?

Speaking to state radio station France Inter, the Italian-born singer dismissed the media storm, saying she didn’t see why presidential wives should give up their livelihoods just because they had wed. She went on to add that they "have the right to work”.

But she conceded that her position ruled out concerts and added that she would donate royalties from the album to charity.

Asked if she would record a fourth album while her husband was in office, she admitted it was unlikely: "I don't know if I will be able to write an album between now and 2012. If I manage to, I would be lucky."

Carla Bruni also admitted the response to her album would not be purely musical.

"If people don't listen because I married the president of the republic, I understand. If they do listen because I married the president of the republic, I will be delighted.

"And if people, especially, like it, that is what counts for me."

Carla Bruni recorded two albums before becoming half of the world’s most glamorous political couple following a three-month romance. Her first album won over critics and sold two million copies, but her second English-speaking release, No Promises, sold less than half-a-million