Omarosa Manigault-Stallworth
Encyclopedia
Omaroseonee Manigault-Stallworth (born February 15, 1973), usually known simply as Omarosa, is a two-time participant on Donald Trump
's television reality show The Apprentice
.
. She earned a Bachelor's degree
in Broadcast Journalism
in 1996 at Central State University
in Wilberforce, Ohio
, where she was a four year member of the women's volleyball team. She later moved to Washington, D.C. in order to attend Howard University
, where she pursued both a Master's and Ph.D. in Communications. In 2000, she married Aaron Stallworth, but the two separated in 2005, and later divorced.
during the Clinton Administration as Deputy Associate Director of Presidential Personnel. According to a People Magazine article she was transferred due to disruptive behavior.
In August 2009, Manigault-Stallworth enrolled in United Theological Seminary
in Ohio to pursue a Doctor of Ministry
degree.
's reality TV Series, The Apprentice, produced by Mark Burnett
, and starring business mogul Donald Trump
. With her controversial behavior, she soon became the "woman America loved to hate" and was named by E!
as reality TV's No. 1 bad girl. However, Manigault-Stallworth claims the show's producers manipulated the footage to make her look like the villain, and said, "These shows are constructed. They don't happen, nor do they portray actual reality. They are constructed reality." She added, "Historically, blacks have been portrayed negatively on reality television. We don't come across well. You've got to start looking and saying, 'Is that really how all blacks are?' Because they are trying to say that this is representative of our people."
Since her participation on the first season of The Apprentice, Manigault-Stallworth has gone on to appear on more than 20 other reality shows, including VH1
's fifth season of The Surreal Life
, NBC's Fear Factor
and Oxygen's prank show Girls Behaving Badly
. She has also been a guest on nearly every major talk show on TV including a controversial appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
. It was on Oprah's show where the often contentious Manigault-Stallworth accused fellow Apprentice participant Ereka Vetrini
of calling her the "n-word," a claim Vetrini has strenuously denied.
In January 2008, Manigault-Stallworth became the only former Apprentice participant to be invited back to The Celebrity Apprentice
, where she quickly became embroiled in a personal feud with Piers Morgan
. She was eventually fired in the tenth 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.
In June 2010, Manigault-Stallworth and Donald Trump
teamed up to create a new dating show called The Ultimate Merger
, which included R&B singer/producer Al B. Sure!
as one of the contestants. The show aired on TV One.
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
's television reality show The Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)
The Apprentice is an American reality television show hosted by real estate magnate, businessman and television personality Donald Trump, created by Mark Burnett and broadcast on NBC...
.
Early life
Manigault-Stallworth was born in Youngstown, OhioYoungstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Mahoning County; it also extends into Trumbull County. The municipality is situated on the Mahoning River, approximately southeast of Cleveland and northwest of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. She earned a Bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Broadcast Journalism
Broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
in 1996 at Central State University
Central State University
Central State University, commonly referred to as "C-State", is a historically black university located in Wilberforce, Ohio, United States. It is the only public HBCU in Ohio.-History:...
in Wilberforce, Ohio
Wilberforce, Ohio
Wilberforce is a census-designated place in Greene County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,579 at the 2000 census. The community was named for the English statesman William Wilberforce, who worked for abolition of slavery and achieved the end of the slave trade in the United Kingdom and...
, where she was a four year member of the women's volleyball team. She later moved to Washington, D.C. in order to attend Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
, where she pursued both a Master's and Ph.D. in Communications. In 2000, she married Aaron Stallworth, but the two separated in 2005, and later divorced.
Career
Manigault-Stallworth worked in the office of then Vice President Al GoreAl Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
during the Clinton Administration as Deputy Associate Director of Presidential Personnel. According to a People Magazine article she was transferred due to disruptive behavior.
In August 2009, Manigault-Stallworth enrolled in United Theological Seminary
United Theological Seminary
United Theological Seminary is a United Methodist seminary in Trotwood, Ohio, United States, in the Dayton metropolitan area. Founded in 1869 by Milton Wright, it was originally sponsored by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ...
in Ohio to pursue a Doctor of Ministry
Doctor of Ministry
The Doctor of Ministry degree is, according to The Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada , a doctoral level degree oriented toward ministerial leadership often in an area of applied theology, such as missions, evangelism, church leadership, pastoral psychology or the...
degree.
Television career
Manigault-Stallworth first came into the spotlight in 2004 after becoming a participant on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's reality TV Series, The Apprentice, produced by Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett
Mark Burnett is a British television producer and executive producer, based in the United States. He currently is the executive producer of five network television series with seven hours of network programming. Works with which Burnett is associated have won multiple awards and recognition...
, and starring business mogul Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
. With her controversial behavior, she soon became the "woman America loved to hate" and was named by E!
E!
E! Entertainment Television is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by NBCUniversal. It features entertainment-related programming, reality television, feature films and occasionally series and specials unrelated to the entertainment industry.E! has an audience reach of...
as reality TV's No. 1 bad girl. However, Manigault-Stallworth claims the show's producers manipulated the footage to make her look like the villain, and said, "These shows are constructed. They don't happen, nor do they portray actual reality. They are constructed reality." She added, "Historically, blacks have been portrayed negatively on reality television. We don't come across well. You've got to start looking and saying, 'Is that really how all blacks are?' Because they are trying to say that this is representative of our people."
Since her participation on the first season of The Apprentice, Manigault-Stallworth has gone on to appear on more than 20 other reality shows, including VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's fifth season of The Surreal Life
The Surreal Life
The Surreal Life is a reality television series that sets a select group of past-their-prime celebrities and records them as they live together in Glen Campbell's former mansion in the Hollywood Hills for two weeks...
, NBC's Fear Factor
Fear Factor
Fear Factor is an American stunt/dare reality game show. The original Dutch version was called Now or Neverland. When Endemol USA and NBC adapted it to the American market in 2001, they changed the name to Fear Factor. The show pits contestants against each other in a variety of stunts for a...
and Oxygen's prank show Girls Behaving Badly
Girls Behaving Badly
Girls Behaving Badly is an American reality comedy television show on the Oxygen cable channel, and is also syndicated to television stations across the United States and Canada by Sony Pictures Television....
. She has also been a guest on nearly every major talk show on TV including a controversial appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. It was on Oprah's show where the often contentious Manigault-Stallworth accused fellow Apprentice participant Ereka Vetrini
Ereka Vetrini
Ereka Vetrini is an American television personality. She was a contestant on the first season of The Apprentice in 2004....
of calling her the "n-word," a claim Vetrini has strenuously denied.
In January 2008, Manigault-Stallworth became the only former Apprentice participant to be invited back to The Celebrity Apprentice
The Apprentice (U.S. Season 7)
The Celebrity Apprentice is the seventh installment of the United States version of the reality television series, The Apprentice. This season features celebrity candidates vying for the title of Donald Trump's, "Best Business Brain," as a way to revitalize the series, with the winner donating...
, where she quickly became embroiled in a personal feud with Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
. She was eventually fired in the tenth 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.
In June 2010, Manigault-Stallworth and Donald Trump
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
teamed up to create a new dating show called The Ultimate Merger
The Ultimate Merger
Donald J. Trump Presents The Ultimate Merger is an American reality television dating game show. A spin-off of The Apprentice, the series premiered on TV One on June 17, 2010. Notably, The Ultimate Merger is the first reality dating series to feature contestants who are almost entirely from the...
, which included R&B singer/producer Al B. Sure!
Al B. Sure!
Albert Jason Brown III is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He grew up in Leonia, New Jersey and Mount Vernon, New York. During the late 1980s under the stage name Al B...
as one of the contestants. The show aired on TV One.