A new TV series called Clipped, starring Ed O’Neill as disgraced former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, has brought renewed attention to a 2014 scandal that captivated the nation. After the team was sold, Sterling seemed to disappear from the limelight. So where is he now?
To understand his current situation, we need to go back and see how the whole thing started. Sterling’s remarkable NBA career as a team owner came to a harrowing end in 2014 when a tape leaked of Sterling saying racist things to his mistress, V. Stiviano.
On April 25, 2014, TMZ Sports released an audio recording of Sterling arguing with Stiviano and telling her he doesn’t want her to bring Black people to his games.
“It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with Black people. Do you have to?” he said on the tape to his Black, Mexican mistress.
Of course, the tape caused a commotion across the sports world and even elicited a rare political comment from NBA superstar LeBron James, who famously said: “There’s no place for Donald Sterling in our league.” Others spoke up, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver eventually banned Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million.
Where is Donald Sterling now?
While he lost his NBA team, Sterling didn’t lose any of his gargantuan wealth. Per Forbes, Sterling is worth something around $4 billion. Immediately after the sale of The Clippers, he vowed to sue the “hypocrites and bullies” at the NBA until he got his money back, but he eventually settled in 2016. A year later, he claimed that selling the team was the best thing that ever happened to him.
“I was trying to negotiate the highest price I could,” Sterling said. “So if I would have voluntarily offered to sell the team, I wouldn’t have gotten the highest price.” He reconciled with his wife Shelly as well.
“I am as happy as I have ever been. I am as comfortable as I have ever been,” Sterling said. “And I don’t want to do anything to disturb that.” He lives in Malibu and is often seen around the area, sometimes in the company of his wife.
The miniseries Clipped is based on the scandal and the drama and chaos that surrounded it. There are six episodes. Here’s the release schedule:
- Episode 1: June 4, 2024
- Episode 2: June 4, 2024
- Episode 3: June 11, 2024
- Episode 4: June 18, 2024
- Episode 5: June 25, 2024
- Episode 6: July 2, 2024
Clipped is available to stream on Hulu.