V. Stiviano’s name has been on the tongues of millions of people in recent days.
She was the woman heard in an audio recording said to feature Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.
Sterling is alleged to have made numerous racist remarks in the audio, including a request that his girlfriend not publicly associate with blacks or bring them to his games.
While accusations of racial discrimination are not new in Sterling’s world, this audio recording represents proof of despicable opinions and behaviors on his part that could not be disputed or explained away.
Stiviano’s legal representatives have stated that the recording is legitimate.
At the same time, they claim that the private conversation somehow fell into someone’s lap at TMZ and that Stiviano has no idea how it happened.
While many will no doubt roll their eyes at such a denial, the admission by Stiviano’s camp that she is the woman on the tape is damning in its own right.
If Stiviano is lying about her role in the leak, the reasons for releasing the conversation are revealed as less than charitable.
Los Angeles Clippers President Andy Roeser said in a statement that Stiviano was the defendant in a lawsuit. The plaintiff is in fact Sterling’s wife Rochelle.
Rochelle Sterling sitting Courtside wearing all black. #DonaldSterling #LACvsGSW pic.twitter.com/aDQVpMCEVx
— Yassin Omar (@yassinomar) April 27, 2014
She is suing Stiviano for $1.8 million, claiming that the younger woman embezzled millions from her husband. According to the lawsuit, the pair met at the 2010 Super Bowl and began a torrid affair soon after.
Allegedly, the defendant warned the Sterling family that she would “get even” with them for suing her.
TMZ thinks that Rochelle Sterling filing for divorce is "imminent". That's huge if true. That's what doomed McCourt: http://t.co/FzFbIsgZcS
— Andrew Ungvari (@DrewUnga) April 28, 2014
As Sterling is a controversial figure in the NBA over past racism allegations, it stands to reason that Stiviano knew all about these issues when she began to associate with him.
This includes a period of years where the married man was said to have lavished millions of dollars in gifts on Stiviano, including a $1.8 million duplex and hundreds of thousands of dollars in living expenses. Stiviano was also, according to the lawsuit, the recipient of luxury vehicles. This included a Ferrari and two Bentleys.
It is a relationship that was said to have been ongoing as of the lawsuit and ahead of the recent audio leak.
In the aftermath of this racial controversy, Stiviano rises to the surface not as a heroine unmasking a vicious bigot who uses money and power to get his way.
Instead, it appears that Stiviano is being a woman in line with what Rochelle Sterling has claimed; the sort to get even with the Sterlings over bringing her gravy train to a grinding halt.
Do you think Stiviano is a victim of Sterling or just a greedy “gold digger” type determined to get revenge? Comment below!
Image via YouTube