10 bombshell revelations from tell-all book about Donald Trump’s time on ‘The Apprentice’

10 damning revelations about Donald Trump’s ‘The Apprentice’ era from tell-all book

Before Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States, he was already a household name thanks to the reality TV franchise 'The Apprentice'. The show, which aired on NBC, showcased Trump's business acumen and made him a fixture in American pop culture. However, the behind-the-scenes reality of 'The Apprentice' was far from the glamorous image presented on television. In his newly released book, 'Apprentice in Wonderland: How Donald Trump and Mark Burnett Took America Through the Looking Glass,' Variety editor-in-chief Ramin Setoodeh delves deep into the making of the franchise. Here are the 10 biggest revelations from this tell-all book.

1. Trump's agent advised him against starring in 'The Apprentice'

In the early 2000s, Donald Trump was initially "soft-pitched a docuseries centered on his family", which "did not appeal" to him. However, when Mark Burnett, the creator of 'Survivor', proposed the concept of 'The Apprentice,' Trump was intrigued. Despite his agent Jim Griffin's warnings that the show would likely fail and embarrass him, Trump decided to proceed. Burnett sweetened the deal by offering Trump an executive producer credit and a share of the profits from product placements, which ultimately convinced Trump to take the risk.

2. Mark Burnett's treatment of contestants

Season 1 contestant Kristi Frank recounted how Mark Burnett would "mess with" the cast from the audition rounds onward. Burnett's manipulation included pulling her out of the gym for an impromptu interview in her gym clothes and making contestants believe Trump was constantly watching them. “Even after Burnett had made his selections, choosing 16 finalists to compete on 'The Apprentice', he kept torturing his contestants,'" Frank states in the book. "They messed with us. They said, 'Donald Trump will be watching you guys throughout the whole thing.' And they’d say, 'Oh, he’s watching you. He’s keeping tabs.' No, he wasn’t watching us! He had no idea what we were doing." Fellow contestant Bowie Hogg revealed that Burnett even placed cameras in the bathroom of their communal residence, despite initially promising not to. Hogg said Burnett "couldn’t help himself, and he eventually brought the cameras into the bathroom to collect footage of the contestants getting ready."

3. 'Rejected' contestants became junior producers

As 'The Apprentice' took shape, Burnett hired a group of junior producers, many of whom were former contestants who did not make it onto the show. This "Dream Team" ran mock trials of the tasks around Manhattan to ensure they worked smoothly for the actual contestants. This unique approach allowed Burnett to iron out any potential "hiccups before the actual contestants took them on".

4. Trump as a 'broadway character'

Season 1 contestant Sam Solovey described Trump’s on-screen persona as almost theatrical, likening him to a Broadway character. "He almost presented himself as a Broadway character," Solovey said. "When you go to a Broadway show, there’s a certain manner in which an actor is supposed to stand onstage, because they don’t use their hands. Certain aspects of posture, cadence — he adopted all of that." However, Solovey said it did not come across as "natural." "I don’t think people really analyze it, but it clearly was intentional," he states in the book. "I believe the way that he presents himself is a larger sort of performance art. Just watching him, everything from the hands, the way he puts his fingers together and claps, the pointing fingers, the length of his ties, always wearing suits ... And I don’t think it’s natural—especially the speech pattern and the way he stands. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a tall guy and physically big. It’s all part of a product."

5. Trump getting 'too close' to contestants

Burnett attempted to keep eliminated contestants sequestered at the Drake Hotel to avoid spoilers, but Trump often violated this protocol. He would "regularly invite them over to his office, simply to hang out. They all had the ability to reach him. All they had to do was call his assistant." Trump even offered them personal advice, like advising Bowie Hogg to always have a prenuptial agreement. Some contestants, such as Sam Solovey, were even invited to Trump’s apartment, indicating an unusual level of personal interaction with participants. The author alleged that Trump "enlisted the fired contestants as his helpers long before the first episode of 'The Apprentice' aired, back when they were still being held without their wallets in New York City hotel rooms during production."

6. Trump's alleged inappropriate interactions with female contestants

The book details several alleged inappropriate interactions between Trump and female contestants. Trump was particularly fixated on Season 4 contestant Jennifer Murphy, whom he often commented on inappropriately. "It was mostly among the men [on the show], where he’d say, 'Oh, she’s hot. Oh, I’d love to sleep with her.' Jennifer Murphy —that’s who he’d talk about," Season 4 winner Randal Pinkett says in the book, adding, "There’s no place for those conversations in a business context" and that "it was unacceptable." Murphy recalled an incident where Trump kissed her on the lips and another where he smacked her butt after an Access Hollywood segment. "I mean, he didn't push it," she said, insisting that she "wasn't offended" by it. "It was like, one, two, three — no tongue. I just let him give me the kiss. And I kind of turned red." Season 5 contestant Summer Zervos also alleged inappropriate behavior, though she declined to discuss it further for the book.

7. Randal Pinkett's controversial win

In Season 4, Trump offered winner Randal Pinkett the chance to share his victory with runner-up Rebecca Jarvis, which Pinkett declined. Trump later suggested that Pinkett’s refusal made him unpopular. "I think he made himself unpopular by not doing it," Trump stated, per the book. "He said no, and most people thought — especially the way I put it — he’d say yes. That’s his problem." Pinkett, however, believed that Trump’s proposal was an attempt to dilute his win due to racism and sexism. The incident strained their working relationship, which lasted only a year, with Pinkett later concluding that Trump had racist tendencies. "I think Donald’s a racist," Pinkett told the author. "And I think he consciously and unconsciously and deliberately cast Black people in a negative light."

8. NBC's disapproval of Trump's presidential run

According to the book, NBC executives, including Mark Burnett and NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke, tried to dissuade Trump from running for president. They even offered him lucrative deals to stay with the network. However, Trump claimed that he turned down these offers to pursue his political ambitions, stating that he did not need the money or the show after 14 seasons. "Steve Burke came up to see me with Paul Telegdy, and essentially said the same thing, 'We’ll give you anything you want,'" he recalled. "I said, 'Steve, I just don’t want to do it. I’ve done it enough. I’ve done 14 seasons in 12 years. I don’t need the money. I want to do other things.'"

9. Plans for Trump's children to take over 'The Apprentice'

Trump had plans for his children to succeed him on 'The Apprentice'. He believed his daughter Ivanka would be the best choice to host, with his sons Donald Trump Jr and Eric serving as judges. "I said, 'The best person to hire would be Ivanka Trump,'" he said of his eldest daughter, who made regular appearances on the show alongside fellow Trump family members. "I didn’t press it. But I felt Ivanka would have been by far the best person you could hire.” Trump discussed these ideas with NBC, but the network was not keen on turning the show into a family affair. Ultimately, Arnold Schwarzenegger was chosen to replace Trump for the show's final season.

10. Donald Trump Jr's alleged affair with Aubrey O'Day

'The Celebrity Apprentice' contestant Clay Aiken revealed that Aubrey O'Day and Donald Trump Jr had an affair during the show's production. Aiken noted that their relationship "was not a well-kept secret," and believed it was inappropriate for a judge to assist a contestant with whom they were romantically involved. O'Day later confirmed the affair to Aiken at a separate event, People reported.