Debbie Gibson on Celebrity Apprentice Season 12: Integrity Over Strategy, Defending Dayana, and Getting Back to the Music

Debbie Gibson said it plainly: "I judge my level of success by the fact I can put my head on the pillow every night and get a good night's sleep knowing…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.

On April 3, 2012, NBC held a press conference call for Celebrity Apprentice Season 12 following the firing of Debbie Gibson and Dee Snider. Premier Guide Miami's Daedrian McNaughton was on the call. This piece focuses on Gibson — her decision not to fight dirty, her defense of Dayana Mendoza, and the new music and musical she was heading back to after the show.

I judge my level of success by the fact I can put my head on the pillow every night and get a good night's sleep knowing that I was truthful.

At peace — and the money she actually raised

Gibson opened with a distinction: "I'm very much at peace in the sense that I'm glad I didn't engage in a he said/she said. I'm not at peace with the fact that — I found out later — I actually raised more money than Dayana, and everybody who needs to know that knows that." She described the atmosphere as increasingly toxic and said she was glad to leave when she did. She had already reached out to Teresa Giudice: "I told her that if she ever needs help with her charity, I'm here. I offered that, and I offered trying to reconcile, because it's really my goal in life to get along with people. She can take that as being sincere or not. She doesn't choose to see me as sincere, but at this point that's her issue."

Defending Dayana — and refusing to join the alliance

Gibson was the only woman on the team who refused to target Dayana Mendoza: "The day before the girls all basically formed an alliance and said, 'We're going to target Dayana,' and I said, 'I'm sorry I can't do that because I wasn't around her all day. I didn't see that she did anything wrong. In fact, I think the project manager should be held accountable.' And because I said that, the project manager went for me." Her read on why Dayana was targeted: "I think a lot of it was good old-fashioned jealousy because she's young and beautiful, to be quite honest." She added: "I went to brunch with her when my run on the show was done, so I have no problem with her whatsoever."

The moment she decided to stop fighting

Gibson described the exact moment in the boardroom when she chose not to escalate: "I heard myself in the room say, 'You know, I've sustained a 25-year career and run my business.' And the minute I felt myself reciting my resume in defense of somebody coming after my skills and what I actually do in my career, I thought, 'This just feels really wrong, and I feel like I'm now stooping to that person's level, and I just really don't want to go there.' And I thought, 'What am I going to go there for, unless I'm going to win the whole thing — what, to stay another week, and then have to work next to this person?' So I thought, 'It's really okay. I won my $50,000 for Children International, I'm going with my head held high.'"

Modeling herself after Marlee Matlin

When Dee Snider mentioned that he had modeled his approach on Season 11 winner John Rich, Gibson had a parallel: "That's funny you say that because I actually kind of modeled myself after Marlee. I went and had breakfast with her the minute I found out I was doing the show, and I said, 'Tell me what you know.'" She also cited Lisa Lampanelli as the contestant she learned the most from: "She really takes not caring what people think to the next level, but she gets the job done. And I admire that. She wasn't precious or prissy. She just went and did it."

What's next — new album and a musical

Gibson was heading straight back into the studio: "I'm working on new music. I've just finished writing my new album. I'm going to go into the studio when all the press is over for the show." She also co-wrote a musical: "I wrote a musical called The Flunky with Jimmy Van Patten. We're debuting it out in LA later this year." She was also helping Dee Snider with his JAM for Autism event on April 19. Trump's parting word on Gibson: "I was at Debbie's opening on Broadway. Twenty years ago exactly. And she was fantastic. So I was a little bit prejudiced anyway." Celebrity Apprentice airs Sundays at 9 p.m. Eastern on NBC.

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