Clipped: What Happened To V. Stiviano After The Donald Sterling Scandal

FX's Clippedfollows V. Steviano during her explosive tenure as the assistant to ex-LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling, leaving many wondering what she's been up to since the 2014 scandal. The riveting drama series examines one of the biggest sports controversies of the 21st century, which saw then NBA team owner Donald Sterling exposed for making racist comments, which were subsequently released to the public. Famously, after the events of Clipped, Donald Sterling had to sell the team and was banned from the NBA, but V. Stiviano's story is less known

Cleopatra Coleman joins the Clipped cast as Stiviano, alongside Ed O'Neill's Donald Sterling and Laurence Fishburne's portrayal of NBA coach Doc Rivers. Stiviano was Donald Sterling's assistant and mistress, who released the tapes and caused the scandal. The TV series takes its dramatic liberties, but it's careful to examine aspects of her character that are true to real life, including her history with shoplifting and the wealth and possessions she acquired during her time working with Sterling.

Donald Sterling's Wife, Shelly, Sued V. Stiviano

Shelly Sterling Sued V. Stiviano For $2.6 Million

Shelly Sterling has been Donald Sterling's wife since 1955, and she becomes a rival for V. Stiviano in the show. One event that's part of the true story of Clipped is Stiviano and Shelly having an altercation in a clothing store, which is shown in episode 1. After the scandal, Shelly remained with her husband during his legal battles with the NBA while she had a mission of her own to sue V. Stiviano for "targeting old wealthy men,"most notably Donald Sterling (via CNNin 2015).

Shelly Sterling was successful in her lawsuit, and V. Stiviano was forced to return $2.6 million worth of property, including a Los Angeles duplex and multiple cars. Though Stiviano argued that she never took advantage of Sterling, the court still found her responsible for the items. Attorney Pierce O'Donnell stated after the fact: "This is a victory for the Sterling family in recovering the $2,630,000 that Donald lavished on a conniving mistress." FX's Clipped definitely seems to favor Stiviano, painting her as one of the show's protagonists.

Where Is V. Stiviano Now?

V. Stiviano Hasn't Been Seen In Public Since 2019

As of June 2024, V. Stiviano's last known public outing was in 2019 at a Gala for Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Previously, in 2018, Stiviano was captured on camera by TMZin the aftermath of Roseanne Barr's firing for racist remarks. There, Stiviano stated, "No one has freedom of speech anymore! No one can say what they feel because if they do, they're gonna lose their job," and, "Everyone's a little bit racist." Without her in the public eye, audiences of Clippedcan form their own opinions based on her portrayal in the show.

What Happened To Donald Sterling After The Scandal

Sterling Fought Against Selling The Clippers

While V. Stiviano faded from the public eye following the Donald Sterling scandal, Sterling himself was still making headlines for a long time. Most of what happened to Donald Sterling after the events depicted in Clipped surrounded the sale of the Clippers and Sterling's reluctance to sell. After initially refusing, Shelly Sterling decided to agree to the sale of the team to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion. This would avoid the NBA's other owners voting on whether or not to force Sterling out of the league.

However, even as the sale was going through, Donald Sterling continued to speak out against it and insisted that he did not give approval to Shelly to sell on his behalf. This led to a lawsuit Sterling filed against his wife and the NBA, which was later dropped. Despite the outspokenness, even in the face of controversy, Sterling has remained relatively quiet for several years. As of 2025, Sterling is 90 years old.

Sources: CNN, TMZ