V. Stiviano was the girlfriend of former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was at the center of a racism scandal in 2014.
Sterling is an American attorney and businessman who owned the San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers professional basketball franchise of the NBA from 1981 to 2014.
Highlights
- Stiviano faced legal trouble and was ordered to repay some of the gifts, impacting her net worth. Her net worth is conservatively estimated at around $3 million.
- She allegedly received lavish gifts from Sterling, including cars valued at over $500,000.
- Rochelle sued Stiviano, accusing her of exploiting wealthy older men to which Stiviano countered that she did not take advantage of Donald and that his gifts were given willingly.
His then-girlfriend, Stiviano was born in LA in October 1982 and her name was Maria Vanessa Perez. In 2010, after a successful petition, she changed her name to V. Stiviano.
In her court filing, she justified the name change by stating, “Born from a r*pe case and having yet to be fully accepted because of my race.”
She is claimed to be of Mexican and Black heritage. In 2015, Sterling sued TMZ and Stiviano, likely over the leaked recordings that led to his ouster from the NBA.
Stiviano’s relationship with Sterling and her role in exposing his racist remarks were highlighted in the recent FX series “Clipped.”
The new Hulu series has dramatized the 2014 scandal involving Donald Sterling, in which the role of V. Stiviano is portrayed by actress Cleopatra Coleman.
As the new series has aired, there has been increased curiosity about Donald Sterling’s ex-girlfriend, V. Stiviano. Here’s everything we know about her.
V. Stiviano’s Involvement in the Donald Sterling Scandal Impacted Her Wealth And Financial Status
Not much is known about V. Stiviano, except that she has been involved in a scandal with Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers.
She describes herself as an Artist, Lover, Writer, Chef, Poet, Stylist, and Philanthropist. She allegedly met Sterling at the 2010 Super Bowl.
Sterling and she had been dating since then, during which time she received gifts from him, including a Range Rover, two Bentleys, and a Ferrari, with the cars valued at more than $500,000.
She has likely received some financial compensation from her relationship with the billionaire, either through a legal settlement or other means, but the exact amount was not disclosed.
Additionally, due to legal trouble she faced in 2015, Stiviano was ordered to pay back some of the gifts she received from Sterling, which significantly impacted her net worth.
While it is challenging to determine the precise amount of V. Stiviano’s fortune without concrete proof, a conservative estimate places her net worth around $3 million.
Rochelle Sterling Sues V. Stiviano Over Alleged Exploitation of Husband’s Wealth
In 2014, Donald Sterling’s wife, Rochelle “Shelly” Sterling, accused V. Stiviano of targeting extremely wealthy older men, including her husband.
Shelly claimed that Donald used the couple’s money to buy Stiviano multiple luxurious cars, a $1.8 million duplex, and about $240,000 for living expenses.
The allegation was that Sterling gave Stiviano about $2 million in community property without Rochelle’s knowledge.
The lawsuit stated that Stiviano “engages in conduct designed to target, befriend, seduce, and then entice, cajole, borrow from, cheat and/or receive as gifts transfers of wealth from wealthy older men.”
Moreover, Shelly mentioned that while Donald was nasty to Stiviano, she took advantage of his wealth to obtain lavish gifts and money.
Following an extended legal battle, Stiviano was ordered to return $2.6 million worth of gifts to Shelly.
Stiviano referred to Shelly as the “Wicked Witch of the West” and openly expressed her hatred towards her.
Additional Information
- According to Forbes, as of 2024, Donald’s estimated net worth was $4 billion, making him one of the 800 richest people in the world.
- Sterling owned the Los Angeles Clippers for 33 years until his wife Shelly sold the team in 2014 following the release of a tape capturing his racist remarks to his then-girlfriend.
