411′s Al Norton sits down for an exclusive interview with Maria Kanellis to discuss her recent release from the WWE, her new album, and her stint on The Celebrity Apprentice, which begins this Sunday night. Maria Kanellis responded to an ad for a diva search on USA’s Monday Night Raw in 2004 and her life hasn’t been the same since. Even though she didn’t win she turned that contest into a wildly successful career with the WWE, with the height of her popularity coming in 2008 when she was on the cover of Playboy Magazine and Maxim Magazine had her in their list of the 100 Sexiest Women. She’s also done episodes of Family Feud, Project Runway, Sunset Tan, and Attack of the Show. This Sunday she begins a stint on NBC’s The Celebrity Apprentice where she is competing on behalf of the Make A Wish Foundation.

Al Norton: How did the offer for Celebrity Apprentice come to you?
Maria Kanellis: Actually Mr. Trump asked me to do it. He had come to the show to do some work from Vince and asked me if I wanted to do it. I said I would love to, which led to meetings with the executive producer. I am so glad he did ask.

Al Norton: How familiar were you with the show? Had you watched either the original or the celebrity version before?
Maria Kanellis: I had watched a little bit of the original and I had seen the whole season of the first Celebrity Apprentice. I ended up watching the entire second season as I was getting ready to do the show.

Al Norton: Did anything you see give you any hesitations about doing the show?
Maria Kanellis: No, not at all. It’s funny because if I would have done it maybe 5 or 10 years ago I wouldn’t have known myself. Now I know myself pretty well so I knew what I could and couldn’t handle when I got on and that made it fun for me.

Al Norton: You mentioned watching season two before doing the show; what else did you as far as prep goes?
Maria Kanellis: I got together all of my friends, everyone I knew, all the folks at WWE, and I couldn’t tell them too much about it but I got all that contact info together. I learned all about New York. I learned a lot of history about the city of New York so I wouldn’t be completely taken aback by all the different boroughs. I tried to do a little bit of everything.

Al Norton: At what point did you find out who else was doing the show?
Maria Kanellis: When I got there the first day.

Al Norton: You had no idea other than you?
Maria Kanellis: I had no idea. Of course there’s rumors going around here, there, and everywhere but I really had no idea. I was so excited when I saw Cyndi Lauper. I was like, “oh my gosh, that is Cyndi Lauper, my childhood idol.” I was so excited to see her it was hilarious.

Al Norton: What was it like that first day when everyone shows up and is eyeing each other?
Maria Kanellis: It’s like seeing your childhood idol, people that you’ve watched on television, people that you know of or know about…you know that you’re part of this celebrity world but it’s a completely different world in wrestling than it is in movies, or television, or sports. You can get overwhelmed but you have to remember that you are competing with these people, you want to beat them. You want to be like, “oh my God, can I get your autograph?” but at the same time be serious and remember, “I am competing against you.” It was pretty funny.

Al Norton: Was there a comfort level for you because Bill Goldberg was also doing the show?
Maria Kanellis: It was cool to see another wrestler, especially a wrestler who had been there before me. That was cool. It’s funny because wrestlers have their own code, a code of respect, and I’d see that pop out of him here and there. He’d always thank everybody the way all wrestlers do, we thank everybody and it doesn’t matter who you are. We are constantly thanking people and I saw that from him throughout the time we were on the show together.

Al Norton: It’s funny that you mention that because in the first episode there are a couple of scenes where you can see him holding the door for everyone.
Maria Kanellis: Exactly. In the first episode you’ll see a moment where I thank everybody for the day and then he does the same thing. It’s so weird, wrestlers have this insane code of conduct and we don’t ever realize how much we take from it.

Al Norton: Had anything you’d been through in the past compared you for the boardroom?
Maria Kanellis: Yes. I’d fought with Melina (Perez, Kanellis’ former WWE co-worker) here and there (laughing)…That definitely prepared me because I don’t think there is anybody tougher. There’s people you argue with and you know you can win and there’ s people you argue with because you love arguing with them, there so good at it and you’re so good at it. Melina is one of those people. I definitely would compare arguing with Melina with being in that boardroom.

Al Norton: I think people were pretty surprised a couple of weeks ago when there was the announcement you had been released by the WWE. Was that something that caught you off guard?
Maria Kanellis: I think I was pretty surprised (laughing). It was very shocking. It was the day after my birthday, I had just got done with my taxes, I knew that I was going to go home to pack and get ready for the road that weekend. I had been in talks about my contract for probably three weeks, trying to change a few things just like any human being who holds any job for any amount of time, I wanted things to get better. I was asking for things I thought were very reasonable and apparently negotiations ended and they decided they no longer wanted me.

I’m so happy with now. It was a shock at first. I didn’t have time to call my Mom. My Mom called me freaking out because it went up on the internet within a half hour and that’s just common courtesy; you let employees call their friends and family rather than a mass press release that goes out to the entire world and you can’t even call your Mom and tell her, “I’m ok, it’s ok. I’m not freaking out.” She’s worried, saying “oh my God, what are you going to do? How are you going to pay for your house?” If I could have called my Mom I would have been so happy but I didn’t even have time to do that.

Al Norton: How does it happen? Does Vince McMahon call you?
Maria Kanellis: Talent relations calls you.

Al Norton: I am sure you don’t want to burn any bridges but doesn’t it seem strange that they would release someone about to go on a TV show on a major network and be seen by 7, 8, 9 million people a week, many of whom may not be traditional wrestling fans and therefore might be new eyes drawn to WWE programming?
Maria Kanellis: I think what’s even more strange for WWE and I worked very hard for the Make A Wish foundation, which is the foundation I am supporting throughout the Celebrity Apprentice, so why would they burn that bridge with me? I’m not going to burn any bridge with WWE but why would they burn that bridge with me? Maybe they just look at me like they can always make another one but I don’t like to be looked at like a number. I don’t think that anyone should be looked at like a number. Everybody has the right to be an individual and express their needs and I think it’s horrible to send somebody away that has made so many Make A Wish kids happy, done so many things for their reading program. I’ve been to burn units, I’ve been to Iraq five times. Why would they burn that bridge with me?

I know, they think they’re a big company but I’m a strong spirit and I didn’t like getting my bridge burned.

Al Norton: Did you choose Make A Wish based on the exposure you had to them through WWE?
Maria Kanellis: Yes, I did. I was going to choose an autism charity because I have a cousin with autism but it was more beneficial to go with Make A Wish because I had such close ties with them. I went with Make A Wish and I’m so glad that I did; you’ll see why in the coming episodes. Those children inspire me so much and they were the perfect motivation to make me work my tail off while I was there, they really were.

Al Norton: There’s another wresting organization out there getting some publicity lately. Is that something you’d be interested in? Has your phone been ringing?
Maria Kanellis: Oh God, my phone’s been ringing off the hook (laughing). I am still trying to decide. It’s a tough choice for me because I am such a loyal person but beyond that, I have so many dreams and unfortunately I don’t know if I can complete those dreams if I stay on the road wresting. We’ll see. I have my album coming out in April.

When it comes to TNA or anyone else, I’m not closing the door. I’m leaving it open for right now and maybe when the dust settles and the whole non-compete thing runs out I’ll be closer to making a decision.

Al Norton: Tell me about your album.
Maria Kanellis: It’s rock music with twisted lyrics. I am a writer on it and also a co-producer. I worked with these great guys in Los Angeles; one of them is constantly drinking tequila and the other one is constantly drinking coffee (laughing). I go in there and turn into the wino of the world, it’s awesome. My music has been growing so much, I have this tremendous drummer named Bug. Joy is my co-producer and she is an insane vocalist, too.

I am working with a bunch of people who are passionate about music and for me, this is a passion project. I’m not doing it so I can sell millions of records, I’m doing it because I love it. For me, that’s the most freeing thing out there, doing something because you love it.

The WWE wanted part of it and I was like, “well, did Vince get in there and sing it? (laughing)” I told them it didn’t affect the WWE, it didn’t affect it at all.

Al Norton: I don’t think you have a cover of Stand Back on your album.
Maria Kanellis: No, I know (laughing). Or “Money, Money, Money.” I’m happy to be doing something I am passionate about with no friction, no one saying I can’t do it that way. The other day I asked if we could bring in a cello and the next day, “here comes the cello.” It was awesome.

The album is sick. We’re mixing it this week and then mastering it. It will be out on i-Tunes on April 13th and the single is on my web site (mariakanellis.net) right now. It will be on i-Tunes before the album comes out, too. I am really excited about the whole thing.

Al Norton: How do you pack for The Celebrity Apprentice? How did you pick your clothes? How do you know what to wear?
Maria Kanellis: You don’t. I brought everything. I had 12 boxes of clothes (laughing) and luckily they had extra stuff for us. Some days you’ll come in and they’d tell you what you were going to be doing and then you’d have to try to find something to wear or thankfully wardrobe might be able to help you out. It was crazy.

Al Norton: How exhausting was doing the show, compared with say, a month on the road with WWE?
Maria Kanellis: You know what? The only thing that kept me going was that every morning there was a lady there who could cover up the bags underneath my eyes. She would look at me some days and go, “oh dear!” I think I aged five years on the show.

I think it’s very similar to what all of us divas…well, I guess I’m an ex-diva now…what all of us girls did on the road. You’re driving half the night to get to the next town and then you’re staying at this crappy hotel where this cockroach wants to come and cozy up next to you while you’re sleeping. You definitely learn how to be resourceful in finding the gym, and then finding the food, making sure that you get there on time. That was great training for being on Celebrity Apprentice.

Al Norton: Ex-Diva sounds like a great name for your album.
Maria Kanellis: It might be (laughing).

Al Norton: Give me a preview of the season of The Celebrity Apprentice. Maria Kanellis: Hair and humor. Oh my Gosh, so much hair, so much humor. You’ll see Cyndi Lauper’s hair on Sunday night, it’s crazy (laughing). It’s hilarious and the things that happen are amazing. Sharon (Osbourne) is so funny. She told me I had balls at one point and I was like, “wow, a women with balls told me I had balls!”

Don’t miss the season premiere of The Celebrity Apprentice, Sunday at 9 pm on NBC.

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