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The woman who leaked Donald Sterling’s racist rants that got him banned from the NBA as coach of the Clippers, V. Stiviano, might have to pay Donald’s estranged wife Shelly Sterling $70, 000 to compensate for legal fees spent in a defamation lawsuit. Stiviano sued Sterling, the family trust and L.A. Sports Properties for claiming Stiviano was a thief and embezzled money from the trust. The case was thrown out.
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Lawyer for the parties seeking a return of attorney fees, Caroline Heindel, said that Stiviano’s suit, ” was so vague and ambiguous as to be nearly unintelligible.” Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Fruin said the trust and L.A. Sports Properties could not be sued for defamation. Since Stiviano is a “limited purpose” public figure, she would have had to prove the remarks were motivated purely by malice.
The original suit was filed by Shelly Sterling requesting return by Stiviano of items Donald Sterling gave Stiviano.Stiviano insisted the relationship was not sexual, although Donald Sterling referred to their recorded conversation as a “lovers quarrel.” The series of events that led to Donald Sterling’s ban from the NBA led to the sale of the Clippers to Steve Ballmer for $2 billion
