Omarosa

Omarosa
Born Omarosé Onee Manigault[1]
(1974-02-05) February 5, 1974[2]
Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
Residence Beverly Hills, California, U.S.
Other names Rosa
Citizenship American
Education Central State University
Howard University[3]
Years active 2004–present
Known for Reality TV participant
Spouse(s) Aaron Stallworth (2000–2005)
Partner(s) Michael Clarke Duncan
(2010–2012; his death)

Omarosa (born Omarosé Onee Manigault; February 5, 1974[1][2]) is an American reality game show and reality show personality.[4] She was a contestant on the first season of Donald Trump's original American version of The Apprentice.[5] She later returned for the TV series sequel, Celebrity Apprentice,[6] and the All-Stars edition of the show. TV Guide included her in their 2013 list of The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time.[7]

Since her participation on the first season of The Apprentice, Omarosa has appeared on more than 20 other reality shows and a guest on several talk shows [8] including VH1's fifth season of The Surreal Life, NBC's Fear Factor (coming in fourth place in the final challenge), and Oxygen's prank show Girls Behaving Badly.[9]

She currently teaches in the Executive Education Program and in the Executive MBA Program at Howard University School of Business,[10] and is a regular political commentator on CNN.

Early life

Omarosa Onee Manigault was born in Youngstown, Ohio, the daughter of Theresa Marie (née Walker) and Jack Thomas Manigault, Sr.[1] Omarosa's father was murdered when she was seven years old.[2][11] After graduating from The Rayen School in Youngstown, she earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism[8] in 1996 at Central State University[12] in Wilberforce, Ohio. She later moved to Washington, DC, to attend Howard University, where she pursued both a master's degree[12] and a PhD in communications.[13]

Career

Omarosa worked in the office of then-Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton Administration.[14]

Omarosa first came to public attention in 2004 after becoming a participant on NBC's reality TV Series, The Apprentice, starring business mogul Donald Trump. Stemming from her controversial, blindsiding, alienating, and acrimonious tactics of game play on The Apprentice (particularly in its boardroom segments), she soon became the "woman America loved to hate"[15] and was named by E! as reality TV's no. 1 bad girl.[9] Omarosa has disagreed with the "villain" label, rather believing herself to be "a shrewd businesswoman," asserting that when a male takes on such characteristics, it is always seen as strong, but when a woman takes them on, it is seen negatively. Omarosa has also claimed the show's producers have manipulated footage of her to make her look like the villain.[15]

In January 2008, Omarosa was invited to the first season of The Apprentice's sequel show, Celebrity Apprentice; she became the only former Apprentice participant to be invited back to the series.[16] On Celebrity Apprentice, she quickly became embroiled in a personal feud with Piers Morgan. She was eventually fired in the 10th episode, after serving as the project manager of the team that, according to Trump, suffered "the biggest slaughter in the history of The Apprentice" in a challenge to sell artwork against a team led by Morgan. She raised $49,000 in total for her charity.[17]

In June 2010, Omarosa and Donald Trump collaborated again to create a new dating show called The Ultimate Merger, which included R&B singer and producer Al B. Sure! as one of the contestants. The show aired on TV One.[18]

In August 2009, Omarosa enrolled at the United Theological Seminary in Ohio to pursue a Doctor of Ministry degree.[19] She received a preacher's license in February 2011 from her church (Weller Street Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, California) and was formally ordained on February 27, 2012.[20] As of February 2012, she was working on finishing her degree at Payne Theological Seminary.[20] As of November 2016, she has not finished her Ph.D,[21] however she completed an Executive Coaching Certification from the Howard School of Business in 2015.

During the Republican National Convention in July 2016, Omarosa announced that she had been named director of African-American outreach for Donald Trump's presidential campaign.[22]

Celebrity Apprentice: All Stars

In February 2013, Omarosa returned to television and The Apprentice, appearing on Trump's Celebrity Apprentice All-Stars. Omarosa quickly marshaled her team to an early victory on the show, winning a task involving the creation of a photo booth at Universal Orlando. In a later episode, Lil Jon's Team was brought back to the boardroom after they lost. Piers Morgan, eager to take advantage of the opportunity to lobby against Omarosa, remarked "my argument against you has always been that you're not a celebrity... and you don't have star power." which led to a heated argument that resulted in Trump respectfully firing Omarosa.

Subsequent interviews

On Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, when asked by Jimmy Fallon whether or not she felt the show set her up by having Piers Morgan act as one of the judges, Omarosa answered, "I felt like I was competing against Piers, as well as the other contestants." Omarosa also noted that when she sees Morgan's show canceled in a year, it will be "the best revenge".[23]

Lawsuit against La Toya Jackson

Following her stint on Celebrity Apprentice: All Stars, Omarosa announced that she was in the process of suing La Toya Jackson over Jackson's backbiting remarks that insinuated that Omarosa had murdered her fiancé, Michael Clarke Duncan. Jackson made the remarks in Celebrity Apprentice confessionals and in following media interviews.[24] In regard to her suit against Jackson, Omarosa has stated, "I've been in reality TV for a very long time, and I think that those were probably some of the most disgusting, despicable statements I've ever heard. And it will go down as some of the ugliest comments ever spoken on reality TV, but I have an incredible legal team who I've handed that all over to, and I'm sure they will handle her accordingly."[25] It was even brought up in the live finale episode of All-Star Celebrity Apprentice. However, Omarosa has not followed through with filing suit against La Toya Jackson.

Controversy

On The Oprah Winfrey Show, Omarosa accused fellow Apprentice participant Ereka Vetrini of calling her the "n-word", a claim Vetrini has denied.[26] Shortly after that appearance, Omarosa failed to show up for a scheduled appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show after she reportedly objected upon seeing a polygraph machine.[27]

Donald Trump Presidential Campaign

Before working for the Trump campaign, she said in an interview with Frontline: “Every critic, every detractor, will have to bow down to President Trump. It’s everyone who’s ever doubted Donald, who ever disagreed, who ever challenged him. It is the ultimate revenge to become the most powerful man in the universe.”[28]

Shortly after Donald Trump won the election, Omarosa stated that Donald Trump has an "enemies" list of Republicans who voted against him in the presidential election.[29]

Personal life

Omarosa has an older sister, Gladys Louise Manigault.[30] Her older brother Jack Thomas Manigault, Jr. was murdered in 2011.[31][32][33]

In 2000, Omarosa married Aaron Stallworth and changed her last name to Manigault-Stallworth. They separated in 2005 and later divorced.[34] She reverted her surname, but eventually took her first name as a mononym.[35][36]

On August 13, 2010, Omarosa confirmed that she was dating actor Michael Clarke Duncan, whom she had met in the produce section of a Whole Foods supermarket.[37][38] In July 2012, she found that Duncan was suffering a heart attack and attempted to perform CPR. It is unknown if Duncan regained consciousness from her CPR or the efforts of the EMS.[39] He never fully recovered from the heart attack, and died on September 3, 2012, after having spent two months in the hospital.[40]

On an April 2, 2013, episode of Where Are They Now on Oprah Winfrey's OWN network, Omarosa revealed additional details of the night Duncan had the heart attack. Omarosa reported that she usually went to bed later than Duncan. At some point during one evening while she was still up and Duncan was in bed, Omarosa reported overhearing Duncan laboring to breathe. "And then I didn't hear anything," she recalled. When she realized Duncan wasn't breathing, Omarosa "started doing CPR and trying to get 911 on the phone." In the midst of the frightening chaos, Omarosa stated she also turned to God for support: "I just started praying. I prayed like I have never prayed before," she said. The paramedics were able to get Duncan's heart started again and rushed him to the hospital. "He fought," Omarosa said, "[but] after two months of fighting, he passed away."[41]

Omarosa also revealed on Where Are They Now that she was an ordained Baptist minister. In the segment, Omarosa revealed that she was brought to the decision after traveling to West Africa, where she found herself alone in an orphanage with a little girl dying of AIDS. Said Omarosa, "It was at that moment, looking into the face, in the eyes of this dying child that I received my call to the ministry. Upon returning to the United States, I put reality television on hold. I put everything on hold and returned to seminary full-time." Omarosa added, "There were people who felt like because I had done the show so many years ago that maybe that disqualified me from the ministry. I'm not really certain. But boy did I hear from the critics, and to them I have to say that they underestimate the power of God's ability to transform a person's life."[42]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Omarose Onee Manigault (b. 1974)".
  2. 1 2 3 Williams, Kam (September 10–16, 2009). "Omarosa The 'Life After' TV Villain of All Time". Los Angeles Sentinel. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  3. Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (2006). Historical Dictionary of African-American Television (1st ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 27. ISBN 0810853353. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  4. CNN, By Alan Duke. "Michael Clarke Duncan planned to marry next year - CNN.com".
  5. Elliott, Stuart. "Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth". The New York Times. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  6. Soll, Lindsay (March 7, 2008). "'Celebrity Apprentice' recap: 'Selling out'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
  7. Bretts, Bruce; Roush, Matt; (March 25, 2013). "Baddies to the Bone: The 60 nastiest villains of all time". TV Guide. pp. 14 - 15.
  8. 1 2 Williams, Brennan (January 24, 2012). "Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth Lands New Editor Position, Sets Return To 'Celebrity Apprentice'". Huff Post. Retrieved March 4, 2012.
  9. 1 2 Coleridge, Daniel R. (November 16, 2004). "Omarosa, Come Up for Oxygen!". TV Guide. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  10. "Official Omarosa".
  11. Tom Gliatto, Jill Smolowe (3 May 2004). "The Hired Man". People. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  12. 1 2 "The Apprentice". USA Today. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  13. Armstrong, Jennifer (12 January 2004). "Donald's Kids". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  14. "Omarosa's Long History of Being Fired". People. April 8, 2004.
  15. 1 2 "Omarosa". (April 12, 2004) Jet, p. 60.
  16. "The Celebrity Apprentice: Omarosa". NBC. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
  17. Soll, Lindsay (March 7, 2008). "'Celebrity Apprentice' recap: 'Selling out'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
  18. Kinon, Cristina (June 17, 2010). "Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth is back and has teamed up with Donald Trump to create new dating show". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  19. "Reality TV villain Omarosa entering a seminary". Dayton Daily News. Yahoo! News. Associated Press. August 14, 2009.
  20. 1 2 Alexis Garrett Stodghill (27 February 2012). "Reality TV star Omarosa has been ordained as 'Rev. Manigault'". The Grio.
  21. Manigault, Omarosa. "Linkedin". Retrieved November 6, 2016.
  22. Collins, Eliza (18 July 2016). "Omarosa Manigault named head of black outreach for Trump campaign". USA Today. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  23. Garvey, Marianne (February 11, 2013). "Omarosa and Donald Trump are fired up after 'Celebrity Apprentice,' take turns slamming Lindsay Lohan and Piers Morgan". New York: NY Daily News. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  24. 03/26/2013 5:36 pm EDT (March 26, 2013). "Omarosa Suing La Toya Jackson Over Michael Clarke Duncan 'Apprentice' Comments (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  25. "Omarosa Fired from 'Celebrity Apprentice', Lashes Out at La Toya Jackson". ExtraTV.com. April 1, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  26. Silverman, Stephen M. (April 13, 2004). "Oprah Fans Outraged by Omarosa Segment". People. Retrieved March 16, 2010.
  27. "'Apprentice' Omarosa storms off 'Jimmy Kimmel Show' after seeing lie detector". Reality TV World. April 23, 2004. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  28. Feldman, Josh (September 22, 2016). "Omarosa: 'Every Critic, Every Detractor, Will Have to Bow Down to President Trump'". Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  29. http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/305067-omarosa-trump-campaign-keeping-list-of-enemies
  30. http://birth-records.mooseroots.com/l/11038100/Gladys-Louise-Manigault
  31. Corneau, Allison (October 11, 2011). "Omarosa's Brother Murdered in Shooting". Us Weekly. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  32. "Youngstown News, Manigault killer to serve at least 21 years".
  33. "Jack Thomas Manigault Jr. (b. 1971)".
  34. "Omarosa Fires Husband?". South Florida Times. July 22–28, 2005.
  35. "Omarosa, Trump Team Up For Dating Show". TodaysTHV.com. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  36. "Michael Clarke Duncan Planned To Marry In January". Huffington Post. September 4, 2012.
  37. "Omarosa & Michael Clarke Duncan Come Out As A Couple". September 13, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  38. "Michael Clarke Duncan & Omarosa Gush About Their New Romance". OK Magazine. August 13, 2010. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  39. "Green Mile Star Michael Clarke Duncan Suffers Heart Attack". Huffington Post. World Entertainment News Network. July 13, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  40. Nancy Dillon (September 4, 2012). "Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54: 'Green Mile' actor dies nearly two months after suffering heart attack". Daily News. New York. Associated Press. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
  41. Capretto, Lisa (April 2, 2013). "Omarosa On Michael Clarke Duncan: 'Celebrity Apprentice' Star Discusses FiancĂŠ's Death (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
  42. "'Celebrity Apprentice' Omarosa Is An Ordained Baptist Minister!". Inquisitr.com. April 3, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2013.

External links

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