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Donald Sterling Sued by Ex-Lover; V. Stiviano Reports Beating

By Brett Snider, Esq. on June 03, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Donald Sterling and V. Stiviano may as well be star-crossed lovers in the law's eyes, because the two will be seeing the inside of the courtroom a good deal. But the two now have other problems to deal with.

Stiviano reported being beaten and verbally assaulted by two men outside a Manhattan restaurant on Sunday. Meantime, Sterling is being sued by an alleged ex-lover and ex-employee for racial discrimination and sexual harassment -- and the plaintiff isn't Stiviano.

Let's round up these legal issues for Sterling and Stiviano. Here's what you need to know:

Stiviano Allegedly Suffered Slurs, Beating

Sterling's former "archivist" V. Stiviano, the one from the now-infamous recording, alleges that a man shouted racial slurs at her and punched her in the face while attempting to enter a cab outside a New York City hotel, reports the New York Post. The New York Police Department's (NYPD) Hate Crimes Task Force picked up a Long Island man on Tuesday for questioning in connection with Stiviano's beating. As of Tuesday, there are still no arrests or charges.

New York City is no stranger to hate crimes, and even a basic assault when accompanied by a derogatory slur can be considered an offense under the state's hate crime laws. In Stiviano's case, the NYPD may be investigating whether the suspects targeted Stiviano based on her race or color and then committed an assault.

According to the Post, her attackers called Stiviano a "f--- n---- bitch" while pummeling her, which may be key in prosecuting her assailants.

Sterling Gets Slapped With Harassment Suit

If you were wondering if V. Stiviano was the only lady in Sterling's life -- other than his wife, that is -- ponder no longer. Maiko Maya King is suing Sterling for racial discrimination and sexual harassment which she claims she received after she stopped romantically seeing him.

King, who is represented by cause célèbre attorney Gloria Allred, alleges that after six years of romantic involvement, she began working for Sterling as his personal assistant -- at the same time he was dating Stiviano. While neither side would deny this is an incredibly awkward situation, King also accuses Sterling of making vile sexual comments and advances, tantamount to sexual harassment. She also claims Sterling made numerous racist comments, which shouldn't be hard to convince a jury of.

We hope that both Sterling and Stiviano can find justice and peace, whether in settlement or in criminal court.

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