Lisa Rinna’s new memoir, You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It, has ignited a flurry of attention, with the actress naming Dionne Warwick as “a nasty piece of work” and detailing difficult interactions during their time as contestants on the 2011 season of NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice.
Rinna recounts a specific incident during a pizza-making challenge where Warwick, a legendary singer, simply demanded, “Go get me a Pepsi!” without acknowledging Rinna’s presence, according to excerpts reported by the Daily Mail. Rinna complied with the request, but later suspected Warwick of conspiring to eliminate her from the show. “I’d like to thank Star Jones for being such a twat, due to the fact that her viciousness prepared me for my future as a Beverly Hills Housewife,” Rinna wrote, too criticizing Jones’ behavior during the competition.
The actress expressed a broader distrust of the female contestants, stating she “couldn’t trust any of the women” on The Celebrity Apprentice. Rinna alleges that Warwick actively worked against her, stating, “And for some reason, I ran off like a simp to get Dionne Warwick a Pepsi. She thanked me by conspiring with her coven to get me canned.”
Nene Leakes, a star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, also experienced friction with both Jones and Warwick during her own appearance on the show, though the nature of those clashes was not detailed in Rinna’s memoir.
Rinna revisited The Celebrity Apprentice in 2013 for an All-Star edition, which was ultimately won by country singer Trace Adkins. Representatives for both Dionne Warwick and Star Jones have been contacted for comment by the Daily Mail.
Beyond her experiences on the reality television show, Rinna’s memoir also touches on her career in Hollywood and personal life. She describes being repeatedly snubbed by Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, but notes that Wintour recently acknowledged her at a Balenciaga fashion show. Rinna also criticizes her former Days of Our Lives co-star, Robert Kelker-Kelly, calling him “horrible” and alleging he created a hostile work environment.
The memoir also delves into Rinna’s decades-long marriage to actor Harry Hamlin, asserting that their intimacy remains strong. “The sex is still great because we’re still really attracted to each other,” Rinna wrote. “Even if we don’t do it as often, when we do, it’s as good as it’s ever been.” She added that they continue to function as a team after almost three decades together.
Rinna’s openness extends to details about her sex life, previously explored in her 2009 self-help book, Rinnovation: Getting Your Best Life Ever. Her daughter, Delilah Belle, once revealed on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills that the earlier book contained explicit instructions on performing oral sex, a revelation that reportedly mortified Rinna.
The release of You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It comes as Rinna has been prominently featured in the media, including her recent participation in the reality competition series The Traitors. Rinna has stated that the book is her attempt to control her own narrative, stating, “Publishing this book is my way of speaking my side without anybody editing me out. And listen, I don’t hold back in this book. I definitely don’t.” She also criticized television host Andy Cohen for revealing private text messages in his own memoir, though Cohen later apologized during an appearance on Rinna’s show, Watch What Happens Live.
In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan, Rinna explained her motivation for writing the memoir, stating, “It’s about telling my side of the story more than anything. I’m too ancient to settle scores at this point.” She also expressed frustration that The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills “never showed me for who I really am. And I had a bone to pick with that.”
