Sterling sues TMZ, friend over loss of Clippers team

Another day, another Donald Sterling lawsuit.

Disgraced former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has filed suit against celebrity news website TMZ and his former companion, V. Stiviano, over the publication of audio that captured Sterling making racist comments and ultimately ended his career in basketball.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the Central District of the Superior Court of California, alleges that Stiviano recorded private conversations with Sterling without his knowledge.

“During this particular social gathering, and unbeknownst to Sterling and without his consent, Stiviano surreptitiously recorded a conversation between the two individuals during Sterling’s meeting with Stiviano”, the lawsuit alleges. Sterling received unparalleled backlash and was essentially pushed out of the National Basketball Association as an owner.

Mac Nehoray, an attorney for Stiviano, told The Associated Press that Sterling also made the racial remarks in front of Stiviano’s sister, negating his privacy claim. Mark Cuban made that point in comments about the Sterling matter, and he had some fair points that Sterling is raising in court.

He was subsequently forced to sell the Clippers, which went to former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer for a record $2 billion.

Shelly Sterling won court approval for the sale by showing her husband of six decades had dementia and couldn’t handle his business affairs.

In the most recent action, Stiviano (who was born Maria Vanessa Perez and has used the aliases Monica Gallegos, Vanessa Perez and Maria Valdez) “and/or her agents” are accused of providing the recording to TMZ.

The recordings of Donald Sterling surfaced just weeks after Shelly Sterling sued Stiviano, claiming she was her husband’s mistress.

A lawyer who represented Stiviano in another case says the lawsuit is ridiculous. “Unless he has something going on in the public eye, he can’t exist”.