Lisa Rinna is speaking candidly about her past connection with Donald Trump and how differently she views him today.

In her memoir, “You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It”, the former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” cast member reflects on her experience working alongside Trump on “Celebrity Apprentice” and later on “Celebrity Apprentice: All-Stars.”

Her memories paint a sharp contrast between the TV personality she once knew and the political figure she strongly criticizes now.

A Look Back at “Celebrity Apprentice”

Instagram | lisarinna | Rinna views her 2013 "All-Stars" return as a necessary pivot from her early 2011 defeat.

At 62, Lisa Rinna revisits her time on “Celebrity Apprentice” in 2011, followed by what she calls a “redemption tour” on “Celebrity Apprentice: All-Stars” in 2013. Her first run ended quickly. She was fired during the second week of the competition.

She recalls the moment clearly:

“The night I got Trump’s signature, ‘You’re Fired!’ I called Harry [Hamlin, her husband] sobbing from my room at 12:30 in the morning.”

The dismissal hit hard. However, her return two years later delivered a stronger showing. During the All-Star season, she made it to fourth place, marking a noticeable comeback.

At the time, Trump appeared to her as a polished reality TV host. According to her memoir, he played his role well. He entered, delivered his lines, handled business, and kept production moving.

“Everyone always asks me to spill the tea on Trump, but I don’t have any,” she writes, though she later refers to him as “our current Circus Peanut in Chief.”

“There Were No Signs”

One of the most striking passages in the memoir centers on how she perceived Trump during filming.

“There were no signs back then that he’d become the monster he is today,” she states. “Trump was a great entertainer. He would come out, say his lines, do his job, and move it along.”

She portrays him as someone who treated her kindly, maintained a professional attitude on set, and consistently showed up on time.

That, in her words, was everything expected on a set. There were no red flags that hinted at the political figure he would later become. Still, her perspective has shifted dramatically.

“Flash forward to today, I really dislike him. I think he’s horrible and has ruined the world. I was as shocked as anybody at who he became. Maybe he’s always been that way, and he finally took the mask off.”

The contrast between past impressions and present opinions shapes much of her reflection.

Interactions With the Trump Family

Her time on the show also included encounters with members of the Trump family. Appearances from Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump, and Donald Trump Jr. were part of the experience.

In her memoir, she describes Melania and Ivanka as “robots” and “total Stepford Wives.” Her remarks about the sons are equally blunt.

“And the sons, Don Jr. and Eric, were just as gross as they are now,” she writes.

While her view of Donald Trump at the time was neutral to positive in a professional sense, her feelings about his family were clearly different.

Public Backlash and Outspokenness

Instagram | The Independent | Once a collaborator with "no signs" of doubt, Rinna now stands as a definitive Trump critic.

Years later, her outspoken criticism of Trump became part of her public identity. After eight seasons on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” she exited the franchise in 2023. She points to her political comments as one factor that influenced how viewers reacted to her in her final season.

Season 12 began during an intensely emotional period. Filming resumed just three days after the death of her mother, Lois. Grief shaped her behavior both on and off camera.

“I had so much repressed anger from my mother’s death then, and the feeling that I was forced to go back to work too soon,” she writes.

During that time, her emotions spilled onto social media.

“I really lost my mind. I started acting out loudly on social media. I was just calling people out — I even called Donald Trump out. I mean, who knows what I even did? I was in the fog of my own grief.”

Viewers witnessed heated moments throughout the season. Online reactions intensified. Her departure followed soon after.

Grief, Reflection, and a Shift in Perspective

Her memoir weaves together several defining chapters of her life, including her experience on reality TV competition shows, her shifting political views, the public backlash that followed, and the deep personal loss of her mother.

Grief and anger blurred boundaries. As she explains, emotions fueled unfiltered reactions. That period now stands as one of the most turbulent chapters of her career.

At the same time, her reflections on Trump reveal how dramatically perception can shift over time. The host she once saw as punctual and professional is now someone she openly condemns.

Lisa Rinna’s account in “You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It” offers a detailed look at her history with Donald Trump, from “Celebrity Apprentice” to present-day criticism. She insists there were “no signs” during filming that pointed to the political figure he would become. Yet her current stance leaves no room for ambiguity.

Her story blends reality television, personal grief, and political disillusionment. It also highlights how public figures can be viewed one way in one era and entirely differently in another.