Disgraced billionaire takes TMZ and V. Stiviano to court

joan

August 12, 2015 5:22 PM

Donald Sterling filed the lawsuit on Friday, August 7 in a Los Angeles Superior Court accusing TMZ and Stiviano of violating his privacy and causing damage on a “scale of unparalleled and unprecedented magnitude.”

Donald Sterling in alleged romance with a new black woman

Donald Sterling has sued celebrity gossip site, TMZ and his famous ex mistress, V. Stiviano over the recording of his off-color remarks that cost him ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team.

The embattled billionaire filed the lawsuit on Friday, August 7 in a Los Angeles Superior Court accusing TMZ and Stiviano of violating his privacy and causing damage on a “scale of unparalleled and unprecedented magnitude.”

Mr. Sterling, said in the lawsuit that the “illicit” recordings were secretly made and provided to TMZ by Stiviano “and/or her agents'' despite Stiviano insisting that Sterling consented to recordings she made on phones while they carried on a sexless relationship.

Attorney Mac Nehoray, who represented Stiviano in the previous lawsuit, said Sterling doesn’t have a claim to privacy because his insensitive remarks were made in front of Stiviano’s sister. ''It’s ridiculous if he says he was damaged by it when he made $2 billion. I think he’s just a litigious person. Unless he has something going on in the public eye, he can’t exist,'' Nehoray said.

The suit is the latest salvo in a legal soap opera that began in April 2014 after the recording caused a firestorm of criticism when the real estate baron was heard whining to Stiviano that she shouldn’t associate with black people.

As a result, Donald was banned by the NBA and ultimately led Sterling’s estranged wife to sell the team owned by a family trust to former Microsoft CEO 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.

The latest suit was lodged two days after Donald Sterling filed for divorce from his wife just weeks shy of their 60th anniversary.

TMZ is still to comment on this. We'll keep you all posted. Please stay with us.

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

Get rewards worth up to $20 when selected to participate in our exclusive focus group. Your input will help us to make informed decisions that align with your needs and preferences.

I've got feedback!

joan