It seems there is never a dull moment with the Real Housewives of New Jersey and the cast works overtime to keep the drama coming day after day. I guess they don’t want us to forget about them! Surprisingly this latest news update has nothing to do with Teresa Giudice squabbling with any Housewives! Shocked? I know — me too. It also has nothing to with Melissa Gorga making backhanded comments about anyone! Shocked? I know — me too.

As well all know Teresa is moving onto other projects besides being a hot-tempered Housewife and recently announced that she will be starring on Celebrity Apprentice. It seems that Terea’s stint on the show was a great experience for her and she gets along famously with The Donald.

Appearing on New York Live, Teresa warned fans that while some tempers flared Celebrity Apprentice was a totally different reality show experience. “I loved it. At first we are working 20 hours a day — getting up at 4:30 a.m., sometimes working until 2:00 in the morning, but overall I have to say it was an amazing experience and if I had to do it all over again, I would.”

Even though there were still some mean girl antics, no one let it get in the way of professionalism. I mean, what’s a little drama when it’s for a good cause, right? “The girls are very catty you know, but this was different from Housewives. We were asked to do tasks and we did them. Donald is amazing. It’s about charity, so it’s totally different from Housewives.”

Teresa admits there’s “definitely clashing” as there are “a lot of us Italians on the show,” but for the most part she wasn’t giving anything away about her rumored dispute with Victoria Gotti, whom Teresa described as “lovely.”

As for her relationship with the show’s infamous host, Teresa loved working with him! “Donald is amazing,” Teresa gushed. “He just said ‘Teresa, I see a different side of you. This is not the Teresa I know.’ And I’m like that’s what I wanted everyone to see,” Teresa regales. “There are going to be a lot of surprises on the show.”

You can check out the video below. Teresa also talks the differences between Housewives and CA and other aspects of her life.

While things are looking up for Teresa professionally, her husband Juicy Joe Giudice was recently indicted which might land him in prison for up to ten years. On the very same day he was indicted Joe proved he is a Giudice at heart as he shopped through his pain and was seen “trying on a mink coat and hat!” I can tell he’s taking this whole felony thing very seriously. As well as this whole paying back his creditors thing…

Apparently, the thought of leaving his marble mansion behind for a cell hasn’t really sunk in for Joe, who continues to put on a happy face. “Everything he does he laughs at,” a source tells Us Weekly. “He doesn’t take anything seriously.” Teresa is reportedly furious and embarrassed by her husbands legal incident. And frankly, I would be too!

Moving on to another Joe who also has some problems managing his money, Non-Juicy Joe Gorga recently settled a lawsuit brought against him by a Paterson window company.

According to NorthJersey.com, Joe owed the Starlite Window Manufacturing Co. Inc. an approximate $25,000 for unpaid services and agreed to settle out of court for an undisclosed amount before the case went to trial. Starlite’s attorney Darren Del Sardo revealed that the exact settlement amount would remain confidential by “mutual agreement” of both parties in the case.

According to Joe, he hired the Starlite to install windows in the Courtland Suites apartment complex in Paterson and was given an estimate of $100,000 for the work. During the course of the project the company increased the price by another $30,000. Joe willingly paid the originally quoted $100k for the job but refused to pay the additional $30 grand which resulted in a lawsuit against his company, Gorga Enterprises Inc.

Starlite decided to go through the Passaic County state Superior Court’s Civil Law Division to recoup their loses on the basis that Gorga Enterprises “entered into a contract” with the company “from December 2008 to January 2009 to deliver $25,577.19 worth of windows.”

Joe claims he had no formal (a.k.a. written) agreement with the company for the monies owed because “he does business with a handshake.” Joe, a developer who works with large-scale projects, claims “discrepancies happen all the time” in his line of work and people “always want to sue you.”

Indeed, court records show that Joe and Gorga Enterprises, Inc have been the subject of 26 liens and civil court judgments for small-claims matters mainly less than $15,000. In 2010 Joe was sued for breach of contract by another New Jersey company for the installation of a fire suppression system in that same apartment complex.

The most interesting thing about this entire situation is Starlite Window’s attorney Darren Del Sardo. This is not Mr. Del Sardo’s first affiliation with the RHONJ as in 2009 he represented former Housewife Danielle Staub in a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend over his attempt to release sex tapes starring the racy mom of two. The lawsuit was eventually dropped.

He then represented Danielle again when she filed a complaint against Ashley Holmes for ripping out her extensions during Season 2′s Posche Fashion Show. Del Sardo was seen in an episode walking with Danielle from the courthouse with Kim G looking like a “broke down Sex And The City,” Jacqueline Laurita famously quipped.

Oh that Danielle – those were the good old days when your cray-cray brought the drama and the laughs and no one was hating on their family and ruining their child’s welcoming into God’s kingdom with a knock-down, drag-out drunken brawl.

And speaking of family drama – you know there is no RHONJ news without some – G-to-the-eeya Giudice turned 11 this weekend and celebrated with a huge blowout befitting of a queen. No just kidding, Teresa actually had a modest family party for her eldest daughter and posted photos of the celebration on her website.

“Being a mom is the best gift I could have ever been given. Gia was the best gift I’ve ever been given. All my girls are,” Teresa wrote. “I love you, Gia! You are a beautiful, amazing girl and I’m so proud of the young lady you are turning into.” Very sweet.

If you are wondering if Joe and Melissa were guests at the party, indeed they were not! Joe Tweeted “wish I had an invite” when asked by fans if they were present. Melissa added that they called instead and wished Joe’s goddaughter a Happy Birthday over the phone. “we called I think that was much better,” Melissa explained.

Photos of Gia’s fete are below. I cannot believe how big the first girls of Jersey are becoming! It seems like Gia was so little when the series started. Happy Belated Birthday Gia from all of us here at Reality Tea!

Celebrity Apprentice premieres on NBC, Frebruary 12th at 9/8c. I, for one, cannot wait to watch!

ARE YOU EXCITED FOR CELEBRITY APPRENTICE? DO YOU THINK JOE WILL SERVE TIME IN PRISON? THOUGHTS ON THE LAWSUIT CONCERNING JOE GORGA?

CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON FOR PHOTOS FROM GIA’S BIRTHDAY!
Gia with Teresa’s father. So cute!

Gia and a shot of Audriana attending the party. Oh, Audriana’s hat…

And that includes the most notorious notable cast member Teresa Giudice! In an interview with Wetpaint, the Real Housewives of New Jersey star explains why she chose the NephCure charity, how she got along with her cast members and makes it CLEAR that she was the only NJ housewife asked to do the show.

As we reported yesterday, Teresa did not choose the charity of her fake BFF Dina Manzo, instead choosing to go with the NephCure foundation. A source told Reality Tea last October that Dina had been kissing up to Tre, even filming with her for the RHONJ in hopes Teresa would choose her Lady Bug charity for the show.

“I went to a St. Jude charity event for Eric Trump and I met this little boy named Mathew Levine, and I found out he had this rare kidney disease and he touched my heart. He had just turned 8 and his cholesterol is 365, he takes 15 pills a day,” Teresa explains. “I wanted to do whatever I could to help the foundation.”

When asked how she got along with her costars, in usual Teresa fashion, she pretends everything was all hunky dory despite the fact that Victoria Gotti revealed last month that the two ladies got into a huge blowout on the show. “Everyone seemed great. I went into it with an open mind, I was happy to meet everyone, like Lou Ferrigno, the Hulk! I remember watching him on TV, it was cool,” states Tre.

When it comes to those reports that came out last year stating NBC first asked her costar Caroline Manzo to do the show, Teresa makes it clear she was the only one asked.

“It was not true. NBC made sure to tell me that was false. [They confirmed] that I was the only one that was asked. You should ask NBC that question, I’m sure they’ll confirm it,” Teresa says though Wetpaint though NBC would not confirm Teresa’s claims, simply stating no comment.

And just to let us know how well she got along with her Apprentice costars, since you know, she’s know for getting along great with others, Teresa made certain to post photos of herself with Victoria Gotti, Clay Aiken and others on her Twitter page. Those photos, including Teresa’s official Celebrity Apprentice photo, are below!

TERESA GIUDICE WITHDRAWS BANKRUPTCY FILING!

Moving on to a report by Life & Style magazine which states Teresa is “embarrassed” by her husband’s Joe Giudice’s recent indictment: Last month, Joe, 40, was indicted by a grand jury and is facing up to 11 years in prison if found guilty of wrongfully using someone else’s identity as well as one count of impersonation. Joe is accused of using his brother Pete Giudice’s marriage and birth certificate to get a new driver’s license while his license was suspended following a 2010 DUI arrest.

“Teresa’s really embarrassed by Joe right now,” an insider tells Life & Style, while Joe insists he’s not to blame. “They didn’t even catch me driving” is Joe’s argument about the indictment.

Meanwhile, the National Enquirer is reporting that Teresa broke down in tears when she discovered Joe could spend over a decade in prison. However, she wasn’t crying because of Joe but rather over the possibility of losing her house!

“Teresa is showing Joe no mercy behind closed doors, but that’s not surprising to those who know her well,” a family friend revealed. “It’s when the cameras aren’t focused on her that Teresa shows her true colors – and it’s always about ‘me, me, me.’”

The insider continues, “Her chief concern is to maintain the illusion of an opulent lifestyle at any cost and that means holding on to her gaudy mansion. The fact that Joe could be sent to prison for 10 years seems to be a secondary concern. Teresa fears this latest setback will be the tipping point that pushed them off a financial cliff and that it’s only a matter of time before they lose their mansion.”

And despite her income from her upcoming appearance on Celebrity Apprentice as well as royalties from her cookbooks and Housewives, sources tell The Enquirer those are just a “temporary bandage” for the family’s financial woes. Yikes.

TELL US – THOUGHTS ON TERESA’S INTERVIEW? DO YOU BELIEVE SHE’S EMBARRASSED BY JOE’S INDICTMENT AND MORE CONCERNED ABOUT APPEARANCES?

CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON TO SEE THE PHOTOS!

Teresa Giudice’s Official Celebrity Apprentice Photo

Victoria Gotti’s Celebrity Apprentice Photo

A photo of Teresa Giudice and Victoria Gotti taken yesterday. “Here’s me and Victoria Gotti. Doesn’t she look fantastic? xx” tweeted Teresa.

Teresa with costars Dayana Mendoza and Lisa Lampanelli

Teresa with Clay Aiken

The CA cast during their appearance on The Today Show yesterday on NBC.

In what might just be the worst kept secret of all time, Donald Trump and NBC are finally revealing the cast of Celebrity Apprentice season 5!

The network unveiled the latest crop of D-list celebrities who will compete for a $250,000 cash prize for their bank accounts favorite charities! And just as we reported back in October, Italian sisters from another mother — Victoria Gotti and RHONJ housewife Teresa Giudice are a part of the cast!

In fact, Victoria revealed a while back that Teresa and her ended up getting into a major blowout during filming. C.A.N.T. W.A.I.T!

“This season of ‘Celebrity Apprentice’ will be the most exciting yet. The show will be great, with a record number of contestants and 15 episodes. We are thrilled to bring 18 new and talented celebrities who will help me make ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ one of the hottest shows on television this spring,” promises The Donald.

Unfortunately for Teresa’s fake BFF Dina Manzo, Tre did not pick her Lady Bug charity for the show. Ouch!

Below is the full list of the cast and their respective charities –

Teresa Giudice, Bravo Housewife, 39: The NephCure Foundation
Victoria Gotti, Famous mobster daughter, 48: Association to Benefit Children
Tia Carrere, Actress/Model, 44: After-School All-Stars
Debbie Gibson, Singer, 41: Children International
Lisa Lampanelli, Comedian, 50: Gay Men’s Health Crisis
Dayana Mendoza, Former Miss Universe, 25: Latino Commission on AIDS
Aubrey O’Day, Singer, 27: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
Cheryl Tiegs, Model/Actress, 64: The Farrah Fawcett Foundation
Patricia Velasquez, Model, 40: Wayuu Taya Foundation

Clay Aiken, Former American Idol runner up, 32: The National Inclusion Project
Michael Andretti, Race-car driver, 24: Racing for Cancer
Adam Carolla, Radio and TV personality, 47: Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters
Lou Ferrigno, Incredible Hulk star, 59: Muscular Dystrophy Association
Arsenio Hall, Actor and Former late-night host, 55: Magic Johnson Foundation
Penn Jillette, Magician, 56: Opportunity Village
Dee Snider, Twisted Sister frontman, 56: March of Dimes/Bikers for Babies
George Takei, Star Trek actor, 74: Japanese American National Museum
Paul Teutul Sr., 62: Make-A-Wish Foundation

The new season of Celebrity Apprentice will premiere Sunday, Feb. 12 at 9/8c on NBC.

In today’s surprise, a new episode of the Real Housewives of Atlanta will be airing tonight on Bravo! But more on that below.

First, following Nene Leakes’ claims that she is “rich… very rich” due to the Trump checks she received from doing Celebrity Apprentice, it now appears she might have fibbed a lot little. A Bravo housewife fibbing? You don’t say!

“While you were running your mouth, I was running to the bank … depositing a Trump check!” NeNe claimed to Sheree Whitfield on the RHOA season opener adding, “I’m rich, bitch!” And to further prove her wealth to millions of strangers viewers, the Nene was seen looking at a $9 million dollar home in Miami.

However, Donald Trump Jr. is now speaking out against Nene’s claims, telling the Wetpaint blog that if the Nene is indeed rich or very rich rather, it is not due to any checks from his dad Donald Trump.

When asked about Nene’s claims of wealth via Donald, Trump Jr. told Wetpaint, “Honestly, I have no idea.” He continued, “All the celebrities on the show play for charity. She received a small appearance fee, sure, but that was it.”

Trump Jr. added: “And as far as I know, she’s not involved with any of our other business or corporations. So I’m not sure what she’s talking about.” Ouch!

NENE LEAKES THREATENS TO QUIT RHOA IF SHE DOESN’T GET OWN SPINOFF!

So just how much did Nene earn on Celebrity Apprentice? Well that exact amount is unknown but Piers Morgan, who won the 1st season of the show back in 2008, revealed he and his castmates only received about $25,000 each to do the show. So perhaps that amount has since gone up to $9 million in a span of 3 years! Thus making the Nene very rich!

Nene has since backtracked on her “very rich” comments claiming she simply meant she was spiritually wealthy. Uh uh.

Meanwhile, the ratings for the 4th season of the RHOA continues to soar! With over 3.3 million viewers tuning in for Sunday’s episode, the series continues to remain the highest rated Bravo housewives franchise. In fact, the recent episode of RHOA was seen by 1.1 million more viewers than the still very impressive 2.2 million viewers that watched the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Monday night. It appears the RHOA ladies and their manufactured drama are here to stay!

Moving on to tonight’s all new episode of the RHOA! Yes, Bravo has decided to air a new full-episode tonight.

On the 7th episode this season titled ‘Law By Sheree,‘ Shereé is served with legal papers, and turns to Phaedra for representation. The two confidently face Sheree’s ex in court, but to their dismay, he has a trick up his sleeve. Kim and Kroy bring baby KJ home and chaos erupts in the house. On an all-new episode of “Kandi Koated Nights,” Kandi chats with guests Marlo Hampton and baller boyfriend Charles Grant. One of Kandi’s co-hosts asks Charles what it was like to date NeNe and it doesn’t take long for the gossip to spread.

The episode airs at 9/8c and a preview clip is below!

[Photos Credit: WENN]

TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE NENE LIED ABOUT BEING VERY RICH? THOUGHTS ON THE PREVIEW & TONIGHT’S NEW EPISODE?

CLICK THE CONTINUE READING BUTTON TO SEE THE PREVIEW!

Teresa, Teresa, oh, Teresa. I feel slighted, as if I was in the presence of greatness knowing that the Real Housewives of New Jersey’s Skinny Italian was mere ninety minutes away from me, answering questions openly and honestly (ahem) in my tiny home state’s capitol. Maybe she will, as she recently opened up about her husband’s dinner date at TGIFriday’s!

Not only that, mob princess Victoria Gotti teases about a Celebrity Apprentice blow-up with the Bravo housewife that puts Nene Leakes beef with Star Jones to shame. Add all of this with the fact that Teresa Guidice’s nemesis sister-in-law Melissa Gorga won’t be breaking bread with her husband’s sister this holiday makes for a very Merry Jersey-style Christmas.

Going on The Wendy Williams Show recently, Teresa isn’t just defending herself, but also her marriage and finances. When questioned about whether she was the only housewife in financial strife, Teresa took the high road refusing to speculate about the business of her cast mates (and former friends). Of Juicy Joe Guidice’s and her situation, she explains, “Joe and I are both hard workers. We just withdrew from bankruptcy.”

Wendy Williams then asked about those dreaded rumors of infidelity, sparked by pictures of Juicy dining with another woman at TGIFriday’s. That Joe is one big spender, eh? Teresa assures Wendy, “That was a friend of ours.” She continues, telling a story about dining recently with a hot male companion who is friends with the couple. Teresa was thankful she wasn’t photographed with him to start the gossip mill swirling. “It’s not fair that just because you are out with a friend, you are cheating on your spouse,” she tells Wendy. Teresa loves her Juicy Joe.

You know who else she loves? Donald Trump, the man that is helping her expand her brand on Celebrity Apprentice. You know who she may not love as much? Her rumored co-star and competitor on the upcoming season, Victoria Gotti. Not to be outdone by Teresa, Victoria showed up on The Wendy Williams Show hinting about a brewing feud between Mrs. Guidice and herself. While never out-right confirming her spot on the reality competition, Gotti teases, “I recently worked with someone on a project, and that person is a fellow Italian woman …” Follow-up questions from Wendy made it pretty clear that fellow lady was Teresa.

A shocked Wendy admits, “In my mind you guys would be friends,” to which Gotti replies, “In my mind we were too. But then there comes a scene… when my mind gets completely blown… So you’re going to see this on TV, it’s a quite a blow-up… I thought it was gonna get a little physical there. Nene and Starr, I mean, that was like nothin’.'” I honestly can’t say I’m surprised to hear that. I’d kind of like to see Teresa and Nene go head to head!

While Victoria Gotti may not be hanging out with Teresa anytime soon, the same may be said for Melissa Gorga. The upcoming holidays always bring together fun, family and lots of stress, and Melissa and husband Joe Gorga may be choosing less stress over more family time. In a recent interview, Melissa admits that Christmas plans have yet to be made. She says, “It’s yet to be determined. Sometimes when something stresses you out and when you have to think to hard about something, sometimes it’s better to stay away for a little while.”

While Melissa would love for the cousins to enjoy the holidays together, it seems that Teresa may be the roadblock. Melissa reveals, “If it were up to me, we would be together every single Christmas Eve. Our children would be opening presents together. We’d be sharing every single Christmas together.”

Joe Gorga agrees. When it comes to his sister Teresa, he knows she can bring unwanted drama. Joe concurs, “There’s certain things you just can’t forgive and forget. It’s a holiday. You want to enjoy it. You want to be happy. You don’t want to be aggravated. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I want to be happy.”

Melissa, however, remains hopeful. “I just really hope that we can all work this out. We all have such amazing opportunities here. We’re all great people.” She continues, “Everyone’s talented. Everyone has amazing families. We all just need to let it go and work it out. It’s the holidays and that’s it. I don’t want to say anything else. We really need to work it out.”

And finally, last night, Teresa spoke at a library benefit (of all things!) in Columbia, South Carolina. In an interview prior to her appearance, Teresa was asked about her reality star status. Teresa reveals, “I’m really humble and really down to earth. I don’t walk around saying that. I’m still true to who I am.” Cough, cough. She continues, “I’m still the same person. The way they portray you on TV, that’s not who you really are. I’m really, real, and I think my true friends know who I really am. They’re just really protective of me.”

However, Teresa admits she has a feisty side (table flipping, anyone?), but she explains, “I stand up for myself if I believe in something. If I have to state my case, I have to state it. If I’m wrong, then I’ll keep my mouth shut.” Is that how it works? Even when discussing Bravo’s Andy Cohen and his not so gentle ribbing of she and her husband, Teresa laughs, exclaiming, “[T]hat’s his job. And I love Andy. I’m a big girl and I can defend myself.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF TERESA’S INTERVIEW? ARE YOU SHOCKED THAT SHE AND VICTORIA GOTTI WILL SPAR ON THE UPCOMING SEASON OF CELEBRITY APPRENTICE? SHOULD THE GORGAS AND THE GUIDICES CALL A TRUCE FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

Reality Tea can now confirm the identities of all the 18 celebrities participating in Celebrity Apprentice season 5!

All thanks to a show insider who sent us the full list — posted below — of the 18 celebrities (nine female and nine male) filming the new season!

As reported previously, Real Housewives of New Jersey star Teresa Giudice and famous mobster daughter Victoria Gotti are indeed part of the cast (Nene Leakes vs Star Jones the sequel anyone?!) and joining them will be the likes of Adam Carolla, Aubrey O’Day, Clay Aiken, Debbie Gibson, Lisa Lampanelli and others!

Below is the full cast list -

Women’s Team:

1. Teresa Giudice – Bravo Housewife
2. Victoria Gotti – Famous mobster daughter
3. Aubrey O’Day – Singer and former member of Danity Kane
4. Cheryl Tiegs – Model and Actress
5. Dayana Mendoza – Former Miss Universe
6. Tia Carrere – Actress and Model
7. Patricia Velasquez - Model
8. Debbie Gibson – Singer
9. Lisa Lampanelli – Comedian and Roast specialist

Men’s Team:

1. Adam Carolla – Radio and TV personality
2. Arsenio Hall - Actor and Former late-night host
3. Clay Aiken – Former American Idol runner up
4. Dee Snider – Twisted Sister frontman
5. George Takei - Star Trek actor
6. Lou Ferrigno – Incredible Hulk star
7. Marco Andretti - Race-car driver
8. Paul Teutal – American Chopper dad
9. Penn Jillette - Magician and one-half member of Penn & Teller

Another source tells Reality Tea the women were spotted filming at Cafe Metro on W 52nd Street in NYC on Tuesday during which they had a challenge that required them to cook and sell food. They sold “$20 Grilled Cheeses, and $100 or $500 sandwiches.”

Our source also supplied us with the below pics which includes a group shot of the women on the menu and another shot of Teresa actually slaving away in the kitchen! Those pics are below!

According to reports, Celebrity Apprentice season 5 is scheduled to premiere early next year.

Top Photos credit: PR Photos

TELL US – THOUGHTS ON THE FULL CAST LIST? HOPING FOR A TERESA & VICTORIA SMACKDOWN? ARE YOU EXCITED FOR THE NEW SEASON?

The Celebrity Apprentice casting rumors continue to swirl and speculation that Teresa Giudice will be part of the cast is stronger than ever! They better hurry up and decide as filming is expected to begin next week!

Insiders confirm that former swimsuit model, Cheryl Tiegs and race car driver, Marco Andretti are definitely in the line-up!

Tiegs has been on a couple of reality shows herself, including ABC’s short-lived True Beauty, but Andretti’s experience in the reality circuit mostly stems from post-race interviews. Hey, at least he’s likely cool under pressure!

Insiders close to the show also reveal that the fifth season will feature not one, but TWO loud-mouthed Italian princesses: Real Housewives of New Jersey’s infamous table flipping, cookbook shilling mama who took bankruptcy to a whole new level, Teresa Giudice and notorious mob-daughter, Victoria Gotti, star of Growing Up Gotti a reality show of yore and the author of several books – who has also had some financial and legal troubles of her own! Oh, please let this rumor be true! The drama, oh the heavenly drama!

Teresa, who possibly beat out her RHONJ co-star and current nemesis Caroline Manzo for a spot on the show, has Caroline’s camp claiming she recommended the business-savvy Jersian to Senor Trump after she turned their offer down. Team Trump denounces this rumor as not even 1/16^th true. I wonder if Project Ladybug, charity of Teresa’s only remaining friend, Dina Manzo, will be her cause of choice?

Also speculated to be included in the cast is Debbie Gibson – oh excuse me Deborah Gibson – who sowed her reality TV oats on Skating With The Celebrities (yeah, I don’t remember it either) and a stint on WWHL! Deborah “I Think We’re Alone Now” Gibson seems level-headed and kind of sweet; which means underneath it all the former teen pop prodigy is likely a majah drama queen!

Finally, almost American Idol winner, Clay Aiken, who has been largely out of the spotlight as of late, might be making his triumphant return to the teevee! And I truly think the philanthropic and low-key Aiken would be a great asset to any Celebrity Apprentice team. The real question is, can he handle the out-of-control drama that is Mrs. T-Money Giudice? Probably not.

Thoughts on the rumored casting lineup? Are you excited about the possibility of a Giudice vs. Gotti throwdown or tired of the cray-cray?

Heading into the Celebrity Apprentice finale last night, it was a tight race between country singer John Rich, 37, and deaf actress Marlee Matlin, 45 (she looks great for 45 no?).

In fact Donald Trump revealed that this was his toughest ruling yet in the history of the show. “I’ve never had to go through something like this… You’ve both been amazing,” said Trump to both finalists before announcing a winner.

Ultimately, John, one-half of the country-music duo Big & Rich, came out on top, beating Marlee to earn a $250,000 check for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Marlee had been competing for the Starkey Hearing Foundation charity.

“Today has been an unbelievable day!” said John after his win. “I got Trump to put on a Stetson hat on national television and now I get to drive down to Memphis with a $250,000 check for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”

With the exception of Richard Hatch, who is back in prison for tax evasion (much to the delight of David Cassidy), most of the “fired” contestants returned for the live finale. Though noticeably missing was music legend Dionne Warwick.

Of course the Donald had to revisit the whole Nene Leakes vs everyone Star Jones drama. Nene claimed she had moved on and didn’t hold a grudge, only to yell over Star seconds later while Star attempted to answer a question from Trump.

And right before he made the winner announcement, Trump promised to do something he had never done before. What was that you ask? Well while he hired John, he did not fire Marlee. Rightfully so as there were no losers this season with over $3 million raised for charity– a record for the show.

It was also announced last week that Trump will return for another season of the Celebrity Apprentice.

TELL US – HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS? DID THE RIGHT CONTESTANT WIN?

A new winner will be crowned tonight on Celebrity Apprentice as Marlee Matlin and John Rich go head to head!

And leading up to tonight’s finale, Marlee spoke out on the drama involving her fired former teammates Star Jones and Nene Leakes, making it clear she wasn’t a fan. “Whatever the hoopla was that surrounded the relationship they had and whatever drama came, I didn’t choose to involve it in terms of the way I played the game,” said Marlee in a conference call with the press. “Whatever way they decided to deal with each other isn’t what I am about or the kind of person I am.”

Marlee’s comments would explain why she did not choose Star to join her team for the final task. She continued, “Whatever clash that occurred, for me, it got too old too quick. I just decided to focus on the task; it’s not about who I am. Sometimes it overshadowed the purpose and my aim for being there which was to raise money for charity but I would never let it get in the way.”

Marlee then went on to make it clear that she still respects both women. “But they are both women I respect and I know are very vocal and that’s what is great about them,” she added.

Meanwhile, John Rich also revealed a shocking tidbit while talking to the press, which is that he and rapper Lil Jon were actually friends before the Apprentice – something they both failed to reveal on the show!

According to Jon, he met Lil Jon years ago at an awards show. “I remember shaking hands with him at an awards show,” said John. “It wasn’t like we became best friends or anything because we live in different towns, but anytime I was in Atlanta or LA, because he is back and forth between the two towns, I’d always call him, and every now and then he’d be in Nashville and would call me.”

In fact, John called Lil Jon to inform him about joining the CA cast only to discover Lil Jon would also be appearing on the show. “I actually called when I’d decided I would be on Celebrity Apprentice to tell him I’d be on a TV show and might need him to help me out with a task or donation at some point,” said John. “He started laughing and said, ‘Too late, I’m on the same show!’ We just laughed our heads off. At that point I said, ‘This will be fun.”

So can we expect a music collabo from the ‘Jons?’ That answer is a yes! “We actually did record something together and there is a record coming out now called Rich Rocks, and Lil Jon appears as a guest artist,” explain John. “It’s a really cool thing and I’ve had a huge response from all the country fans that are really liking him too.”

The finale/reunion episode begins tonight at 9/8c. Nene, Garey Busey, and the other fired celebs (excluding Richard Hatch who is back in jail) will all be in attendance!

TELL US – THOUGHTS ON MARLEE & JOHN’S INTERVIEWS? WHO ARE YOU ROOTING FOR TO WIN TONIGHT?

In today’s extremely shocking news, Donald Trump has announced he will not run for President in the 2012 election, while also announcing his return for another season of the Celebrity Apprentice.

Following weeks of teasing via a publicity tour regarding a potential bid as the Republican candidate, Donald, 64, announced his decision via a statement released on Monday.

“After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the Presidency. This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country,” Trump said.

The Donald however makes it very clear he would have beat President Barack Obama had he ran. “I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election. I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector,” said Trump.

Last month, Trump infamously challenged the President on the birther issue and was actually solid in early polls. However, once the President released his birth certificate and the Donald became the butt of jokes at the recent White House Correspondents Dinner, his poll numbers drastically declined.

Plus this announcement ends the speculation on whether Trump will return for another season of the Apprentice. Over the weekend, NBC announced that the Apprentice franchise would continue with or without the Donald. It’s likely that statement by NBC plus the timing of the network’s Upfront presentation for advertisers this week is what prompted him to make the announcement. He had teased in the past that he would make his announcement on the season finale of the Celebrity Apprentice leading many to suspect this was just a publicity stunt.

Trump also added that he will not stop voicing his political opinions. “I will continue to voice my opinions loudly and help to shape our politician’s thoughts. My ability to bring important economic and foreign policy issues to the forefront of the national dialogue is perhaps my greatest asset and one of the most valuable services I can provide to this country,” he said.

TELL US – WAS DONALD TRUMP SERIOUS ABOUT RUNNING OR WAS THIS JUST A PUBLICITY STUNT?