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'All-Star Celebrity Apprentice' Red Carpet Event

Source: Charles Eshelman / Getty

Chrisette Michele took a lot of heat this week for her decision to perform at Donald Trump‘s Inaugural Ball— but should everyone be pointing the finger at Omarosa instead?

The Daily Mail reports that the new POTUS was reluctant to have African American performers at his celebrations. A source revealed that “He felt as though black people did not support his campaign for president, why should they be rewarded with an opportunity?”  But Trump’s favorite African American supporter, Omarosa Manigault, who has been named director of communications for the White House’s Office of Public Liaison, reportedly told her former Apprentice boss that “the optics of a black-out would look terrible.”

Despite his initial reluctance, Trump finally agreed that they should secure diverse talent, but sources say the businessman requested “mediocre AA artists with a consistent following, but not a big name artist. Just ones who need the opportunity.” As you may recall, music legend Jennifer Holliday was asked to take the stage at the Inauguration because she was considered a safe pick having performed for Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. But after receiving major backlash for making such a taboo decision, Holliday backed out.

Sources say that surprisingly with everything going on surrounding Trump’s campaign, it was fairly easy to book Chrisette Michele, saying, “Securing Chrisette was easy. Her manager was very excited about the opportunity and surprisingly open to making it all work.” During her interview on The Breakfast Club, Michele claimed that it was not Omarosa who personally reached out to her to do the gig.

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