Shelly Sterling, the wife of the former Clippers owner, is owed $2.6 million by V. Stiviano who was showered with gifts by Donald Sterling, a Los Angeles court has ruled on April 14.
Judge Richard Fruin Jr. awarded Shelly Sterling most of the nearly $3 million she had sought.
Shelly Sterling had claimed that money used to buy V. Stiviano a house, luxury cars and stocks was her community property.
V. Stiviano’s lawyer had argued the gifts were made when Donald and Shelly Sterling were separated and that Shelly Sterling couldn’t seek them from a third party.
The ruling comes nearly a year after V. Stiviano’s recording of Donald Sterling making racially offensive remarks bounced him from the NBA and cost him team ownership.
Shelly Sterling’s lawyers used other recordings to show Donald Sterling bought V. Stiviano a house, a Ferrari and other things.
In the recordings on V. Stiviano’s iPhone, she and the 80-year-old billionaire are heard discussing how to shield gifts from his wife.
“The truth is that everything that I have, you’ve given me from your heart without me begging or asking or throwing myself all over you,” V. Stiviano said in snippet played in court.
During the course of their 2 and a half years together, Donald Sterling gave her a Ferrari, a Bentley and a Range Rover, and paid the lion’s share of a $1.8 million duplex.
Donald Sterling testified that he paid for the entire house, though V. Stiviano said she had contributed an unknown amount of money given to her in small bills by family members that she saved in a bedroom drawer.
Shelly Sterling said V. Stiviano hadn’t contributed “50 cents” to the house and, noting that she is part black and Hispanic, said she illegally got her name inserted into escrow documents by befriending Hispanic bank and escrow employees.
Shelly Sterling filed the suit against V. Stiviano about a month before the recording of Donald Sterling telling Stiviano not to associate with black people created an uproar and led the NBA to ban him for life and fine him $2.5 million.
Ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has purchased the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion after a court cleared the way for the sale.
A Los Angeles judge confirmed Shelly Sterling could sell the basketball franchise over the objections of her estranged husband Donald Sterling.
Donald Sterling, the owner since 1981, was banned from the sport for life after he was recorded making racist remarks.
The $2 billion sale price is the highest ever paid for an NBA team.
“Really excited – in a pretty hardcore way to continue the path to making the Clippers a better and better basketball team, and a better and better citizen of the Los Angeles community,” said Steve Ballmer.
Steve Ballmer has purchased Donald Sterling’s LA Clippers for $2 billion after a court cleared the way for the sale
Steve Ballmer moved quickly after the Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas signed the order authorizing the sale even if Donald Sterling’s lawyers filed an appeal.
“We were ready,” lawyer Adam Streisand said.
“Within minutes, the deal was signed, sealed and delivered.”
LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers had threatened to quit if he remained owner.
Point guard and president of the players association Chris Paul suggested he would sit out and try to convince other players to join him if Donald Sterling continued to own the franchise.
The 80-year-old real estate businessman had fought in court over a deal his wife said he had initially praised.
Richard Parsons will continue as interim chief executive, Steve Ballmer added.
The sale ends Donald Sterling’s run as the longest-tenured owner in the NBA.
Donald Sterling bought the Clippers in 1981, moving the team from San Diego to Los Angeles in 1984.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Levanas has ruled that the LA Clippers basketball team can be sold, despite the objections of banned co-owner Donald Sterling.
Donald Sterling, 80, was not in the cramped downtown courtroom for Monday’s closing arguments.
LA Clippers team can be sold, despite the objections of banned co-owner Donald Sterling
At every turn, Judge Michael Levanas found Shelly Sterling’s testimony and witnesses believable – and he publicly questioned the credibility of one of the only two witnesses Donald Sterling called.
Ultimately, the judge ruled that Shelly Sterling acted properly when she removed Donald Sterling from a decision-making position in the family trust that controlled the team.
Shelly Sterling burst into tears after Judge Michael Levanas’ final pronouncement, hugging her lead attorney, Pierce O’Donnell, in the second row of the courtroom as Donald Sterling’s lawyers sat nearby.
“This is going to be a good thing for the city, for the league, for my family, for all of us,” Shelly Sterling said outside the courthouse, facing a phalanx of reporters and cameras.
Donald Sterling – who last week filed a new lawsuit trying to block the sale – is not expected to go away quietly. He is suing the NBA, alleging it violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an “illegal” recording.
Donald Sterling has said he will never sell LA Clippers basketball team during heated exchanges in court.
Donald Sterling, 80, is contesting in court his wife Shelly’s decision to sell the basketball team franchise to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Steve Ballmer wants the judge to confirm she can do so.
The NBA said it wanted to force Donald Sterling to sell after he was recorded making racist remarks in April.
The court case in Los Angeles deals with allegations that Shelly Sterling used medical tests of his mental capacity to remove him as a trustee and deceive him into selling.
In May, Shelly Sterling told her husband to seek an evaluation by two doctors, who declared him “mentally incapacitated” and unfit to administer his duties as trustee of the Sterling Family Trust.
This in effect handed her control of the Clippers.
Donald Sterling is contesting in court his wife Shelly’s decision to sell the basketball team franchise to ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer (photo AP)
Shelly Sterling told the court she had sent her husband for medical tests after seeing “frightening changes”.
She was eventually told he had early signs of Alzheimer’s, she said.
There were sharp exchanges in court as Donald Sterling insulted his estranged wife.
“Get away from me, you pig,” he said, adding: “Shelly, how could you lie?”
From the witness box Donald Sterling then shouted: “I will never ever sell this team, and until I die I will be suing the NBA for this terrible violation.”
Donald Sterling argues he could raise more money than Steve Ballmer’s $2 billion offer by selling TV rights and winning an anti-trust lawsuit against the NBA.
If the judge in Los Angeles rules Shelly Sterling acted unlawfully, the deal with Steve Ballmer could be invalidated and the sale of the franchise revoked.
The racism allegations led to the NBA fining Donald Sterling $2.5 million and banning him from basketball for life.
In a 10-minute audio recording published on celebrity website TMZ in April, Donald Sterling was heard telling a woman, subsequently identified as his girlfriend V Stiviano, not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to Clippers games.
The remarks drew widespread condemnation from fans, retired basketball stars and President Barack Obama.
Donald Sterling is suing the NBA, alleging it violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an “illegal” recording.
Donald Sterling’s lawyers have hired four private investigation firms to dig up dirt on the NBA’s former and current commissioners and its 29 other owners, a source familiar with LA Clipper owner’s legal strategy told the AP.
Investigators were given a six-figure budget over the next 30 days to examine the league’s finances, allegations of previous discriminatory conduct and compensation to past Commissioner David Stern and current Commissioner Adam Silver.
Donald Sterling’s lawyers have hired four private investigation firms to dig up dirt on the NBA’s former and current commissioners and its 29 other owners
The source said the investigators also are looking into whether other owners made any off-color jokes, or racist or s**ist remarks.
Donald Sterling, 80, is suing the NBA for $1 billion in federal court after the league tried to oust him as LA Clippers owner for making racist remarks to girlfriend V. Stiviano that were recorded and publicized. Adam Silver fined him $2.5 million and banned him for life.
The suit alleges the NBA violated Donald Sterling’s constitutional rights by relying on information from an “illegal” recording. It also said the league committed a breach of contract by fining Sterling and that it violated antitrust laws by trying to force a sale.
Donald Sterling’s attorneys will also be facing off with his wife’s attorneys in probate court during a four-day hearing scheduled for July.
Donald Sterling has agreed to sell LA Clippers for $2 billion and drop his lawsuit against the NBA, his lawyer says.
Donald Sterling’s lawyer, Maxwell Blecher, told reporters his client had “made an agreement with the NBA to resolve all their differences”.
Former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer is set to buy LA Clippers in a record sale.
Donald Sterling was fined $2.5 million and banned for life from the league after racist comments he made became public.
Donald Sterling has agreed to sell LA Clippers for $2 billion and drop his lawsuit against the NBA
The NBA announced the ban and fine soon after an audio recording of Donald Sterling emerged in the US media in April, in which he was heard asking a woman not to associate in public with black people nor to bring them to games.
In a subsequent interview with CNN, he said he apologized for a “terrible mistake” and insisted he had been “baited” into making the remarks.
But last week he sued the NBA in federal court, alleging it had violated his constitutional rights by relying on information from an “illegal” recording.
He also sued for damages for the forceful termination of his ownership, but Maxwell Blecher said on Wednesday this lawsuit was now dismissed.
The other team owners in the league will vote on this proposed sale in mid-July, Donald Sterling’s legal team said.
If they approve the sale, it will be a record sum for a team that cost Donald Sterling about $12 million in 1981.
Last week, Steve Ballmer said in a statement he was honored to have his name put forward to the NBA for approval.
A man has been arrested after V. Stiviano – the girlfriend of embattled LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling – was allegedly attacked by two men outside a Manhattan hotel Sunday.
Dominic Diorio, 40, of Old Bethpage, is charged with third-degree hate crime and aggravated harassment, according to the NYPD. He’s scheduled to be arraigned later Tuesday or early Wednesday.
It wasn’t immediately clear if he had an attorney. Police haven’t indicated whether they’ve identified another suspect in the attack.
V. Stiviano claims she was attacked by two white men in New York City
V. Stiviano’s lawyer Mac Nehorary told NBC News Monday that she was leaving a restaurant near the Gansevoort Hotel in the Meatpacking District when two men approached her and “punched her on the right side of her face several times.”
According to RadarOnline, V. Stiviano, who has described herself as black and Mexican, was attacked by two white men who hit her and yelled racial slurs at her.
Last month, V. Stiviano was also the target of an apparent burglary attempt.
V. Stiviano gained notoriety after a recorded conversation between her and Donald Sterling was posted online by TMZ Sports in which Sterling can be heard criticizing Stiviano about bringing black friends to Clippers games.
Donald Sterling is being sued for harassment by a second alleged mistress, named Maiko Maya King.
According to TMZ, the woman claims the deposed LA Clippers owner subjected her to racist remarks during a six-year relationship.
Maiko Maya King says she was married with two kids when she met Donald Sterling and claims the billionaire said things like “Why would you bring black people into the world?” and “Black people do not take care of their children. All they do is sit home and smoke dope” during their relationship from 2005 to 2011.
The alleged mistress, who’s reportedly only half the 80-year-old Donald Sterling’s age, says he hired her as a “caretaker” after their relationship ended, but mainly “dangled money” for s**ual favors.
Donald Sterling is being sued for harassment by second alleged mistress Maiko Maya King
Maiko Maya King claims he fired her on May 7 after she protested his treatment. She’s since hired Gloria Allred.
“I don’t like the man. [Maiko Maya King] told me all the racist things he said, but he had billions and I was just a stunt man. He broke up my marriage,” Maiko Maya King’s ex-husband Wayne King, 49, told the New York Daily News.
“I went to two Clippers games, but the whole situation was just ugly,” he said.
“He tried to get my youngest daughter to give him kisses, and then he would turn his face to get it on the lips. I told him I didn’t like that, and he said, <<But I just love her>>.”
Maiko Maya King’s Twitter page describes her as an artist, the owner of a SoCal nightclub and the founder of The Circle of Charities and the Circle Arts Program.
Donald Sterling’s other alleged mistress, V. Stiviano, set off a national firestorm last month after recordings of him making racist comments to her surface. He was banned by the NBA for life, fined $2.5 million and forced to sell the Clippers, which his estranged wife Shelly successfully negotiated last week.
V. Stiviano most recently filed a police report after being attacked on the streets of New York.
According to TMZ, V. Stiviano claims two white males punched her in the face and called her “anti-black names”.
According to new reports, Microsoft ex-CEO Steve Ballmer has reached a deal to buy the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for $2 billion, reports say.
Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned from the sport for life after he was recorded making racist remarks.
Microsoft ex-CEO Steve Ballmer has reached a deal to buy the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team for $2 billion (photo Getty Images)
The NBA later agreed to begin the process of selling the team.
The bid was reportedly accepted by Donald Sterling’s wife, Shelly.
Steve Ballmer is believed to have outbid two rival groups for the team, one of which was led by media mogul David Geffen and included talk show host Oprah Winfrey.
He retired from Microsoft in February, but he still owns shares in the company.
A forced sale of the LA Clippers would require the approval of three-quarters of the 30 team owners in the NBA.
But Donald Sterling could still oppose the sale in the courts, according to sports lawyers.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has agreed to sell his stake in the basketball team to his estranged wife, Rochelle “Shelly” Sterling.
Rochelle Sterling is moving ahead with selling the team, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Friday.
The individual, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the deal, said that Donald and Rochelle Sterling made the agreement after weeks of discussion.
Shelly Sterling is working to resolve the dispute amicably and has been in talks with her attorney and NBA lawyers for the last couple weeks.
Donald Sterling has agreed to sell his stake in LA Clippers to his estranged wife, Shelly Sterling
She wants to “have meaningful control” over the transaction.
“She has no plans to sue the NBA,” the individual said.
“She’s trying to make nice.”
The NBA banned Donald Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million because of racist comments. The league has charged him with damaging the league and its teams. It said Donald Sterling has engaged in other conduct that has impaired its relationship with fans and merchandising partners.
Team owners are moving forward with a vote on whether to terminate his ownership.
Donald Sterling has until next Tuesday to respond.
He can appear at a June 3 hearing in New York in front of the other owners. It will take three-quarters of them to terminate Donald Sterling’s ownership, and the league says also that of Shelly Sterling.
Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, the board chairman, will preside over the hearing. If three-fourths of the other 29 owners vote to sustain the charge, Donald Sterling will be forced to sell the team he has owned since 1981. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said he is confident he has the 23 votes that are necessary.
If Donald Sterling did not respond to the charge within five business days, or does not appear at the hearing, it would be deemed an admission of the “total validity of the charges as presented,” according to the NBA constitution.
Donald Sterling’s attorney had asked for a three-month delay, which the league rejected.
Donald Sterling has said he will refuse to pay a $2.5 million fine from the NBA for racist comments.
“We reject your demand for payment,” LA Clippers owner’s lawyer said in a letter to the NBA, Sports Illustrated magazine reports.
Donald Sterling, 81, is also reportedly threatening to sue the league.
Donald Sterling has said he will refuse to pay a $2.5 million fine from the NBA for racist comments (photo Sports Illustrated)
He was banned from the NBA for life after he was recorded making racist remarks.
Donald Sterling was heard asking his girlfriend V. Stiviano not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games.
In the letter, Maxwell Blecher also wrote that no punishment was warranted for Donald Sterling’s actions and that his rights for a fair investigation had been violated, according to the USA Today.
The NBA recently appointed Dick Parsons, a businessman and lawyer, as new Clippers interim president while the league attempts to force a sale of the team.
Amid the upheaval, the team was eliminated from the league play-offs on Thursday.
Coach Doc Rivers told reporters after the game “the locker room was not good in a sad way. It felt like all the stuff they have gone through came out and they released all their emotions”.
Doc Rivers himself was fined $25,000 for shouting at a game official during an earlier game.
“I know I am tired,” he said, adding he expected to return to the Clippers next season.
“I am going to go somewhere and lose some weight. I gained 40 pounds in this thing. I just felt like I had to try and protect our guys.”
NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson has said he will pray for LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who is embroiled in an ongoing race row.
Magic Johnson rejected Donald Sterling’s remarks a day earlier that the HIV-positive ex-player had done nothing to help others.
“My whole life is devoted to urban America,” Magic Johnson, 54, told CNN.
Last month, Donald Sterling, 81, was banned from the NBA after making racist remarks in reference to a photo of Magic Johnson.
Magic Johnson’s remarks on CNN on Tuesday night came in response to a second round of comments that Donald Sterling made the previous day.
“What kind of a guy goes to every city, has s** with every girl, then he catches HIV?” Donald Sterling told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday.
Magic Johnson rejected Donald Sterling’s remarks a day earlier that the HIV-positive ex-player had done nothing to help others
“Is that someone we want to respect and tell our kids about? I think he should be ashamed of himself. I think he should go into the background. But what does he do for the black people? He doesn’t do anything.”
On Tuesday, in his own interview with Anderson Cooper, Magic Johnson responded: “I’m a God-fearing man and I’m going to pray for him and hope things work out for him.
“But he’s a man who’s upset and he’s reaching. He’s reaching. He’s trying to find something that he can grab on to help him save his team. And it’s not going to happen.”
The row began last month after a recording surfaced in which Donald Sterling was heard asking a woman – later identified as his girlfriend V. Stiviano – not to associate in public with black people, nor to bring them to games.
Those comments were reportedly prompted in part by a photo that circulated on social media in which Magic Johnson posed with the woman.
Subsequently, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Donald Sterling from the sport and fined him $2.5 million. The NBA has also initiated proceedings to force him to sell his ownership stake in the Clippers.
In his interview with Anderson Cooper that aired on Monday, Donald Sterling apologized for the remarks in the recording, saying he was “emotionally distraught” over the comments and that they were a “terrible mistake”.
But he also said he was “baited” into making the remarks, and said he had delayed in apologizing because Magic Johnson had told him to stay quiet.
“Wait, be patient, I’ll help you, we’ll work it out,” Donald Sterling said Magic Johnson told him.
Donald Sterling also implied that Magic Johnson told him to delay apologizing so he could buy the LA Clippers team.
Magic Johnson, one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, left the sport for four years, then returned for the 1995-96 season before retiring as a player.
He has yet to comment publicly on whether he plans to pursue an ownership position.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are competing in the NBA’s Western Conference semi-final playoffs. On Tuesday evening the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder was tied 2-2.
In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling finally spoke about his racist comments that were leaked in April.
Donald Sterling, 81, apologized for his comments, slammed Magic Johnson and other wealthy African Americans for not doing enough to help minorities, and even insinuated that Anderson Cooper is more of a racist than he is.
Early on in the interview, Donald Sterling tried to gain viewers’ sympathy by describing what his granddaughter had to go through at school after the tapes were released.
“My little grandchild goes to a Catholic nursery, and they were passing around candy to everybody. When they got to her, they said, <<We don’t give candy to racists>>. So it hurts me,” he said.
Donald Sterling took the stance of being set up by V. Stiviano and being “baited” into the comments. He claimed that jealousy is what fueled his comments and not race.
“One of the things that I said was <<don’t bring blacks to my game>>. Twenty-five percent of the people at my games is black. She would always use the black word. That’s a black girl.
“So when she said I’ll bring four gorgeous black guys to the game, players, I was a little jealous, maybe.”
While on the topic of jealousy, Donald Sterling also asked if Anderson Cooper could relate to him being jealous when it comes to women.
Donald Sterling apologized for his comments, slammed Magic Johnson and even insinuated that Anderson Cooper is more of a racist than he is (photo CNN)
“Did you ever like a girl, were you ever jealous of her a little bit if she was with other guys? It’s not that I didn’t want her to be photographed.
“(You were jealous?)
“I admit, I was jealous,” said Donald Sterling apparently unaware that Anderson Cooper is gay.
Donald Sterling then said that Anderson Cooper is the racist, not him.
“I think you have more of a plantation mentality than I do. And I think you’re more of a racist than I am. Because I’m not a racist, and I’ve never been a racist,” he said.
Donald Sterling then went on to bash Magic Johnson and successful black people. In his opinion, Jews help their people when they make it. Black people do not.
“Here is a man … he acts so holy. He made love to every girl in America in every city and he had those AIDS. When he had those AIDS, I went to my synagogue and I prayed for him,” he said.
“What has Magic Johnson done? He’s got AIDS. Did he do any business? Did he help anybody in south L.A.? I think he should be ashamed of himself. What does he do for the black people? I’m telling you he does nothing. It’s all talk.
“I spent millions on giving away and helping minorities. Does he do that? That’s one problem I have. Jews, when they get successful, they will help their people.
“And some of the African Americans, maybe I’ll get in trouble again. They don’t want to help anybody. What has Magic Johnson really done for Children’s Hospital which kids are lying in the hallways. They are sick. They need a bed. What has he done for any hospital? What has he done for any group?”
Anderson Cooper corrected Donald Sterling and let him know Magic Johnson does not have full-blown AIDS, but instead HIV, and also told him a few things Johnson has done for the community and as a businessman.
The interview came to an end with Donald Sterling explaining how V. Stiviano broke his heart.
“This girl, 100 other men could look at her and they wouldn’t even think she was pretty. But she was something special. And the point I’m making is she was a woman who really never asked for anything.
“It’s like a woman stabbing you in the chest or shooting you. And sometimes women say, <<I love him>> and kill him.”
Donald Sterling has said he is not a racist and will not sell the Los Angeles Clippers.
In a recording obtained by RadarOnline, a man who is reportedly Donald Sterling is heard saying he does not believe he can be forced to sell.
Donald Sterling was banned from the NBA for life after he was recorded making racist remarks.
The NBA advisory panel has agreed to begin the process of selling the team.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has said a forced sale would require 75% of NBA owners, and believes he has the votes.
However, Donald Sterling, 81, could oppose the sale in the courts, according to sports lawyers.
Donald Sterling has said he is not a racist and will not sell the Los Angeles Clippers (photo Forbes)
In the recording of what appears to be a phone conversation between Donald Sterling and another man, the Clippers owner says: “You think I’m a racist? You think I have anything in the world but love for everybody? … You know I’m not a racist!”
“How can you be in this business and be a racist?” Donald Sterling asked.
“Do you think I tell the coach to get white players or to get the best player he can get?”
He also told the other man: “You can’t force somebody to sell property in America. I’m a lawyer. That’s my opinion.”
Donald Sterling explains his background growing up in East Los Angeles would make him accepting of others.
“I was the president of the high school there. I mean, and I’m a Jew! And 50% of the people there were black and 40% were Hispanic.
“So I mean, people must have a good feeling for me.”
RadarOnline does not identify the other man or how they received the recording.
The most recent recording emerged as Donald Sterling’s estranged wife, Rochelle, told US media she will fight for a controlling stake of the team.
Rochelle “Shelly” Sterling is a co-owner of the Clippers through a family trust.
Her lawyer, Pierce O’Donnell, said in a statement she “will not agree to a forced or involuntary seizure of her interest”.
Pierce O’Donnell added Shelly Sterling has been separated from her husband for the last year and is considering divorce. Rochelle Sterling also said through her lawyer she has no interest in managing the Clippers.
“The Sterlings may share the same last name, but she does not share his values on race,” Pierce O’Donnell said.
“The sins of the husband cannot be imputed to the wife or children.”
Michael Jordan offered some comments of his own about race, in a biographic book, Michael Jordan: The Life, released Tuesday.
Michael Jordan: The Life is a biography of the former NBA star written by Roland Lazenby.
In the book, Michael Jordan explains how growing up in an area of North Carolina heavily influenced by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1960s and ’70s shaped his views on race and they were far from what would be viewed as politically correct.
Michael Jordan offered some comments of his own about race, in his biographic book, Michael Jordan: The Life
Reportedly, these views really took shape shortly after Michael Jordan watched the iconic television miniseries Roots, and after a girl at his school called him the N-word in 1977.
“So I threw a soda at her,” Michael Jordan says in the book.
“I was really rebelling. I considered myself a racist at the time. Basically, I was against all white people.”
The book also includes anecdotes of Michael Jordan’s time on the school baseball team, when he was one of only two black players and was called inferior while on the team.
In many ways, the book serves as a testament to Michael Jordan’s drive, which many people close to him believe was fueled by negative experiences, particularly in his early life.
Michael Jordan was among the first NBA owners and high-profile figures in the sport to go on record against Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s comments when they were first released, issuing this statement: “I look at this from two different perspectives — as a current owner and a former player. As an owner, I’m obviously disgusted that a fellow team owner could hold such sickening and offensive views. I’m confident that (NBA commissioner) Adam Silver will make a full investigation and take appropriate action quickly. As a former player, I’m completely outraged. There is no room in the NBA — or anywhere else — for the kind of racism and hatred that Mr. Sterling allegedly expressed. I am appalled that this type of ignorance still exists within our country and at the highest levels of our sport. In a league where the majority of players are African-American, we cannot and must not tolerate discrimination at any level.”
Donald Sterling’s alleged mistress, V. Stiviano, is being investigated for allegedly extorting Sterling, TMZ reported.
This is reportedly not her first run-in with the law.
According to TMZ, V. Stiviano has been arrested four times and has used six different aliases since 2002.
She reportedly has gone by Vanessa Maria Perez, Monica Gallegos, Maria Valdez, Maria Vanessa Perez and Mariamonica Perez Gallegos before taking on the V. Stiviano identity.
V. Stiviano has been arrested four times and has used six different aliases since 2002 (photo WPTV)
According to TMZ, she was first arrested by the LAPD for petty theft in 2002.
V. Stiviano was convicted and placed on probation only to again be arrested for another petty theft in 2004. In 2010, Stiviano reportedly was arrested by LAPD for possession of a controlled substance and two years later she was arrested on charges of driving under the influence.
Court papers show that V. Stiviano legally changed her name in 2010, nine months after the drug charges, from Maria Vanessa Perez because she hadn’t “yet been fully accepted because of my race” among other reasons.
“I wish I had just paid her off,” Donald Sterling said last week, according to DuJour.com.
In an interview with Barbara Walters, V. Stiviano identified herself as Donald Sterling’s personal assistant and “silly rabbit”. She also told Barbara Walters that there are hours of recorded conversations between her and the Clippers owner – though she denied releasing to the public the recording in which Donald Sterling admonished her for bringing “black people” to his games and told her not to “promote” her association with them.
Donald Sterling’s estranged wife, Rochelle, sued V. Stiviano in March seeking the return of more than $2.5 million in gifts Stiviano allegedly received from Sterling, including luxury cars and a $1.8 million duplex.
Donald Sterling’s alleged mistress, V. Stiviano, says his racist comments on an audio recording leaked to the public were not the first by the Los Angeles Clippers owner in conversations with her.
”There’s been a number of occasions where Mr. Sterling and I had conversations just like this one. This was one of very many,” V. Stiviano told Barbara Walters on ABC’s 20/20 in an interview that aired Friday night.
”Part of what the world heard was only 15 minutes. There’s a number of other hours that the world doesn’t know.”
Donald Sterling told his personal assistant V. Stiviano in the recording that she should not post online photos of herself with black people, including basketball great Magic Johnson, or bring black people to Clippers’ games.
V. Stiviano said that since the ban, Donald Sterling has felt confused, alone and not supported by those around him
The recording, which an attorney for V. Stiviano said was leaked by a third party, led to public outcry across the country and the NBA. Some sponsors dropped the Clippers and other re-evaluated their relationship with the NBA.
On Tuesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Donald Sterling for life, fined him $2.5 million and urged league owners to force him to sell the team. A three-quarters vote by the NBA owners is required to force him to sell.
Though V. Stiviano told Barbara Walters that Donald Sterling should ”absolutely” apologize, she said she still loves him like a father figure and does not believe he is a racist.
”I think Mr. Sterling is from a different generation than I am,” she said.
”I think he was brought up to believe these things, segregation, whites and blacks. But through his actions he’s shown that he’s not a racist. He’s shown to be a very generous and kind man.”
V. Stiviano, 31, said that since the ban, Donald Sterling has felt confused, alone and not supported by those around him.
”I think he’s highly more traumatized and hurt by the things that he said himself,” she said.
”I think he can’t even believe or understand sometimes the thing he says, and I think he’s hurt by it. He’s hurting right now.”
Donald Sterling, 80, has been accused of racial missteps before.
The billionaire had paid a $2.76 million settlement to resolve a federal lawsuit accusing him of systematically excluding blacks and Hispanics from his rental properties.
Donald Sterling also won a wrongful termination lawsuit by general manager Elgin Baylor, who accused him of various slurs and slights.
President of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Leon Jenkins resigned Thursday amid the backlash over its since-rescinded plans to give a lifetime achievement award to Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
“The legacy, history and reputation of the NAACP is more important to me than the presidency,” Leon Jenkins said in a brief statement late Thursday.
Leon Jenkins’ resignation comes as a committee of NBC owners met to figure out a way to force Donald Sterling to sell the Clippers
Leon Jenkins said he made his decision to “separate the Los Angeles NAACP and the NAACP from the negative exposure I have caused the NAACP”.
He and his chapter of the national civil rights organization have been under fierce scrutiny since it emerged that it was to have given its highest honor to Donald Sterling, whom the National Basketball Association (NBA) banned for life after he was taped making racially offensive comments.
The NAACP canceled the honor Monday.
Leon Jenkins’ resignation comes as a committee of NBC owners met Thursday to figure out a way to force Donald Sterling to sell the Clippers.
The committee of NBA owners voted to proceed with efforts to force the sale of the Los Angeles Clippers following Donald Sterling’s racist row.
Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned from the sport for life this week after he was recorded making racist remarks.
The 10-member NBA advisory committee met on Thursday and unanimously agreed to move forward in the process of terminating Donald Sterling’s ownership.
A number of celebrities have expressed interest in purchasing the sports team.
“The committee unanimously agreed to move forward as expeditiously as possible and will reconvene next week,” said NBA executive vice president Mike Bass.
Clippers owner Donald Sterling was banned from the sport for life this week after he was recorded making racist remarks (photo Getty Images)
A forced sale of the LA Clippers would require the approval of three-quarters of the 30 team owners in the NBA.
However, Donald Sterling could oppose the sale in the courts, according to sports lawyers.
Oprah Winfrey, media executive David Geffen and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather have been among those touted as prospective buyers.
Another casualty of the row emerged on Thursday evening, when the president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) resigned.
Leon Jenkins had intended to present Donald Sterling with a “lifetime achievement award” later this month, a move he withdrew after the recording emerged in which the Clippers owner made racist comments.
In his resignation letter, Leon Jenkins said: “In order to separate the Los Angeles NAACP and the NAACP from the negative exposure I have caused the NAACP, I respectfully resign my position.”
In the 10-minute audio recording, Donald Sterling can be heard criticizing his girlfriend V. Stiviano for posting online photographs of herself with black friends at Clippers games.
“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you are associating with black people. Do you have to?” the man says.
On Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Donald Sterling had acknowledged it was his voice on the recording. It was not clear how or when the conversation was recorded.
Adam Silver subsequently announced Donald Sterling’s expulsion from the NBA along with a $2.5 million, the maximum allowed.
Donald Sterling’s remarks caused an immediate uproar in Los Angeles and among basketball fans across the country.
The Clippers are competing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, drawing extra scrutiny to the incident.
Team coach Doc Rivers later said the lifetime ban and fine for Donald Sterling was the “start of a healing process”.
The NBA ban imposed on LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling over his racist remarks has received widespread praise.
Team coach Doc Rivers said the lifetime ban and fine for Donald Sterling was the “start of a healing process”.
Several civil rights organizations and stars of the game, past and present, have applauded the National Basketball Association for taking swift action.
Donald Sterling, 80, was recorded asking a woman – believed to be his presumed girlfriend V. Stiviano – not to associate in public with black people or bring them to Clippers games.
His remarks have earned him a lifetime ban from the NBA, whose commissioner Adam Silver urged the Board of Governors – the other team owners – to force Donald Sterling into selling.
Adam Silver told reporters that Donald Sterling’s “hateful opinions… simply have no place in the NBA”.
The ban imposed on LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling over racist remarks has received widespread praise
The NBA has also fined Donald Sterling $2.5 million, the maximum allowed, in a package of measures that have been described as the harshest punishment in the history of the NBA.
Doc Rivers said: “I thought Adam Silver today was fantastic.
“He made a decision that really was the right one, that had to be made. I don’t think this is something that we rejoice in or anything like that.”
The players were happy that there was a resolution, he said, adding: “I think we’re all in a better place because of this.”
In a joint statement, the National Urban League, the National Action Network, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation supported Adam Silver’s announcement.
That decision, the statement said, was “a bold, courageous and resolute message”.
Some sponsors had dumped Clippers as the race row deepened but following the ban, electronics company Samsung said it would resume advertising, starting with Tuesday evening’s play-off game against the Golden State Warriors.
Former players also commended the swift action.
“I believe that today stands as one of those great moments where sports, once again, transcends, where sports provides a place for fundamental change on how our country should think and act,” said Kevin Johnson, former NBA star and mayor of Sacramento, who has acted as an adviser to the NBA players’ union.
But others said they believed the punishment was too harsh, given the fact it was a private conversation.
The ban means Donald Sterling will be unable to participate in all team business or attend any NBA practices or games.
Boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather has expressed an interest in buying the team, according to ESPN.
The row erupted on April 25, when celebrity news website TMZ published a 10-minute audio recording in which Donald Sterling criticized V. Stiviano for posting photographs of herself with black friends at Clippers games.
“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you are associating with black people. Do you have to?” the man says.
The remarks caused an immediate uproar among basketball fans across the country, and drew condemnation from President Barack Obama.
The players staged a silent protest, going through a pre-match warm-up with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo.
Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been banned from the National Basketball Association for life after a recording emerged of him making racist remarks.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Donald Sterling would be forced to sell his interest in the basketball team.
The NBA will also fine Donald Sterling $2.5 million, the maximum allowed.
Donald Sterling, 80, was recorded asking a woman, believed to be his girlfriend V. Stiviano, not to associate in public with black people nor bring them to games.
He later said the recording “does not reflect his views”.
In a news conference on Tuesday, Adam Silver told reporters that Donald Sterling’s “hateful opinions… simply have no place in the NBA”.
“That they came from an NBA owner only heightens the damage,” he said.
In a 10-minute audio recording, Donald Sterling can be heard criticizing V. Stiviano for posting online photographs of herself with black friends at Clippers games
“I am personally distraught that the views expressed by Mr. Sterling came from within an institution that has historically taken a leadership role in matters of race relations.”
Adam Silver said Donald Sterling would be banned from participating in all team business, as well as attending any NBA practices or games.
The fine will be donated to organizations focused on combating racism, he said.
Adam Silver said he would urge the NBA’s board of governors to force Donald Sterling to sell his stake in the team, which he purchased in 1981.
“Commissioner Silver showed great leadership in banning” Sterling, Earvin Magic Johnson tweeted following the announcement.
The row erupted on Friday when celebrity news website TMZ published a 10-minute audio recording in which a man can be heard criticizing a woman, believed to be V. Stiviano, for posting online photographs of herself with black friends at Clippers games.
On Tuesday, Adam Silver said Donald Sterling had acknowledged it was his voice on the recording. It was not clear how or when the conversation was recorded.
The remarks caused an immediate uproar in Los Angeles and among basketball fans across the country.
The Clippers are competing in the first round of the NBA playoffs, drawing extra scrutiny to Donald Sterling’s remarks.
On Sunday, before a game against the Golden State Warriors, the Clippers staged a silent protest, going through a pre-match warm-up with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo.
The players also wore black wristbands or armbands and all wore black socks with their normal jerseys.
V. Stiviano and her Instagram page was the topic of much conversation on April 26, hours after TMZ broke the news containing an explosive conversation between her and Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
Since Friday night, when TMZ posted what it said were the recordings between Donald Sterling and V. Stiviano, she has emerged as a central figure in the scandal, which has generated widespread condemnation and has prompted the NBA to launch an investigation.
On the audiotape, V. Stiviano, 31, appears to spar with the man said to be Donald Sterling, pointing out that she herself is black and Mexican. At other times, she is conciliatory, apologizing and tenderly offering him a sip of juice.
TMZ has described V. Stiviano as being a model “who loves posting hot bikini pics of herself”. She also loved posting pics at Clippers games.
It is not the first time that Donald Sterling has been at the center of a controversy. His estranged wife, Rochelle Sterling, previously filed a lawsuit against V. Stiviano, who is also known as Vanessa Perez, Monica Gallegos and Maria Valdez, alleging that Stiviano reportedly met Donald Sterling in February 2010 and began an adulterous affair with the Clippers owner.
V. Stiviano was sued last month by Rochelle Sterling, who seeks the return of the duplex as well as a Ferrari, two Bentleys and a Range Rover she said her husband bought for Stiviano.
V. Stiviano was sued last month by Donald Sterling’s wife, who seeks the return of the duplex as well as a Ferrari, two Bentleys and a Range Rover
Rochelle Sterling alleges in the lawsuit that her husband Donald Sterling met V. Stiviano at the 2010 Super Bowl in Miami. The suit describes V. Stiviano as a seductress who targets wealthy older men like the 80-year-old Donald Sterling.
According to property records, V. Stiviano purchased the duplex in December 2013. But Rochelle Sterling says that she allowed her husband to pay for the house, believing that her name would be on the deed along with his.
Donald Sterling also gave V. Stiviano $240,000 for living expenses, according to Rochelle Sterling’s lawsuit, amounting to $2 million of community property that he allegedly spent on Stiviano without his wife’s knowledge.
In a response to the lawsuit, V. Stiviano argues that Rochelle Sterling must have known that her husband of more than 50 years had romantic relationships outside of his marriage.
V. Stiviano’s court filing ridicules the notion that the “feminine wiles of Ms. Stiviano overpowered the iron will of Donald T. Sterling who is well known as one of the most shrewd businessmen in the world”. V. Stiviano’s papers, however, do not acknowledge that she was in a romantic relationship with Sterling.
Her attorney, Mac Nehoray, said Sunday the tape is authentic but that his client did not release it to TMZ.
“Neither Ms. Stiviano, nor this office has ever alleged that Ms. Stiviano is, or ever was, Mr. Sterling’s girlfriend,” Mac Nehoray said in a statement Sunday night.
Mac Nehoray wrote in court papers that his client was “a veritable fixture” at Donald Sterling’s business offices. A Clippers spokesman said V. Stiviano does not work for the team, though he said it is possible she is employed by one of Donald Sterling’s other business ventures.
An advertisement for a 2011 charity luncheon lists V. Stiviano as a director of the Donald Tokowitz Sterling Charitable Foundation, with Sterling as chairman.
In 2010, V. Stiviano legally changed her name to “V. Stiviano” from Maria Vanessa Perez. Her stated reason in a court petition: She had not “yet been fully accepted because of my race.”
Since then, she has created hats and shirts emblazoned with “V. Stiviano.” Her Instagram is dotted with photos of people posing in the “V. Stiviano” gear.
Mac Nehoray said in a statement that the tape is part of an hour-long conversation between V. Stiviano and Donald Sterling.
Rochelle Sterling, wife of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, attended the team’s Game 4 match against Golden State on Sunday and she was asked questions about the racist remarks that have been attributed to her husband.
Rochelle Sterling, wife of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, attended the team’s Game 4 match against Golden State on Sunday (photo ABC)
Donald Sterling was not in attendance at his team game.
According to ESPN’s Lisa Salters, Rochelle Sterling was adamant that she does not support the comments that have been attributed to her husband. She said that she is not a racist, never has been and never will be.
When Rochelle Sterling was asked whether it was her husband’s voice on the tapes that were released over the weekend, she said hadn’t heard the entire recording and that she wasn’t sure.
The Los Angeles Clippers have staged a silent protest following reports that their team’s owner Donald Sterling had been secretly recorded making racist remarks.
The Los Angeles Clippers went through a pre-match routine on Sunday with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo.
The NBA is investigating a report on TMZ that Donald Sterling made racist remarks.
Donald Sterling has told TMZ the recording “does not reflect his views”.
The Clippers were playing the Golden State Warriors in Oakland on Sunday in a crucial NBA play-off but the clash was overshadowed by the recorded comments allegedly made by the 80-year-old tycoon.
The players also wore black wristbands or armbands and all wore black socks with their normal jerseys.
The Los Angeles Clippers went through a pre-match routine with shirts on inside-out to hide the team’s logo
Donald Sterling did not attend the game.
In the 10-minute audio recording posted online by TMZ, a man, alleged to be Donald Sterling, can be heard criticizing his girlfriend V. Stiviano for posting photographs of herself with black friends attending Clippers’ matches on a social media site.
“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you are associating with black people. Do you have to?” the man says.
“The little I ask is not to promote it on that… and not to bring them to my games.”
President Barack Obama, currently on a four-nation tour of South-east Asia, condemned the “ignorant” and “incredibly offensive” remarks.
“When ignorant folks want to advertise their ignorance, you don’t really have to do anything, you just let them talk,” he said.
In a joint statement published on TMZ Sports on Saturday, Donald Sterling and the Clippers said: “We have heard the tape on TMZ. We do not know if it is legitimate or it has been altered.”
“We do know that the woman on the tape – who we believe released it to TMZ – is the defendant in a lawsuit brought by the Sterling family.
“Mr. Sterling is emphatic that what is reflected on that recording is not consistent with, nor does it reflect his views, beliefs or feelings. It is the antithesis of who he is, what he believes and how he has lived his life.”
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
