A judge fined the lawyer for a former female confidant of Donald Sterling $540 and ordered the attorney’s client to turn over materials and answer written questions that may shed light on whether the woman lured the former Clippers owner into an affair and persuaded him to heap expensive gifts on her.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Fruin issued his ruling Wednesday in a lawsuit filed March 7 by Shelly Sterling, the billionaire’s estranged wife, against V. Stiviano. He imposed the financial sanctions on the defendant’s lawyer, Mac Nehoray, for his client’s alleged failure to respond to the requests for written answers and to compensate Shelly Sterling’s lawyers for having to bring the motion.
Fruin’s decision became final after attorneys on both sides agreed to it Wednesday, prompting cancellation of today’s scheduled hearing.
Shelly Sterling’s lawsuit describes Stiviano as a woman who “engages in conduct designed to target, befriend, seduce and then … receives as gifts transfers of wealth from older men whom she targets for such purposes.”
Shelly Sterling’s attorneys filed court papers in July asking Fruin to intervene and direct Stiviano to answer such questions how much money Sterling transferred to her during the years of 2010-14 and what expenses he paid on her behalf during that same period for such things as living, traveling, entertainment and debts.
Fruin also told Stiviano to produce any voice recordings she has of Donald or Shelly Sterling as well as any communications between Stiviano and third parties after the public disclosure of the Sterling’s secretly recorded racist rants. The judge also said she must produce any documents that may reflect she destroyed any recordings of the Sterlings after Shelly Sterling sued her.
In addition, Stiviano must turn over any documents reflecting compensation she received from Sterling’s company, Beverly Hills Properties, and the Sterling Foundation; any emails between herself and anyone working for Beverly Hills Properties; and any personal work resumes she gave to Sterling.
Stiviano has used the names Vanessa Perez, Monica Gallegos and Maria Valdez, the suit states. She met Sterling at the February 2010 Super Bowl and began a sexual relationship with him that year, the suit states.
The lawsuit seeks all the return of all cash, real estate, cars or other belongings considered community property.
In interviews following the release of the Donald Sterling recordings — which earned him a lifetime ban from the NBA and led to a dispute over the proposed $2 billion sale of the Clippers — Stiviano denied having a sexual relationship with Sterling.
Sterling, however, has described his comments on the tapes as being the result of a heated exchange during a “lovers’ quarrel.”
