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)