V. Stiviano Gets Combative In Sit-Down Interviews With Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — V. Stiviano removed her infamous visor and sat down for interviews this week with Dr. Phil and Entertainment Tonight to talk about the Donald Sterling scandal.
Stiviano, in her first public comments, was combative at times during the interviews that aired May 21, denying that she released audio recordings of Sterling making racist comments about African Americans.
"Absolutely not," she said, sitting alongside a team of lawyers. "Why do you continue when I just said no to you? How many times are you going to ask me that stupid question?"
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At times, she was tearful, insisting that she was never the 80-year-old's mistress, despite the fact that he gave her a Range Rover, Ferrari, two Bentleys and a condo worth approximately $2 million.
Sterling has publicly said the two were involved in an intimate relationship.
"Do you understand how people perceive that?," Entertainment Tonight correspondent Brooke Anderson asked.
"Do you understand that's middle America? It's the mass who doesn't live in Los Angeles. Do you understand that most people don't get the opportunity to meet a billionaire?," Stiviano replied, saying Sterling was a father figure to her.
Dr. Phil also questioned the 31-year-old about her relationship with the Clippers owner.
"I want to make sure we're not having a Bill Clinton moment here. When you say you never had sex with him, define sex," he said.
"Any type of sexual contact. You define sex?" she replied, claiming to only worked for Sterling and nothing more.
"Did you enjoy the attention, the paparazzi following you around?," Dr. Phil continued.
"Absolutely, are you kidding me?" She said. "I get to experience first-hand what it is to be a celebrity."
Both interviews were conducted before the LA Times reported that NBA documents suggest Sterling may have asked Stiviano to lie to the league about his voice on the recordings.
Stiviano denies that she gained financially from the tapes and maintains that they were leaked by a friend.
"I don't know if it was sold . . . I don't know exactly the details of that," she said.
"So you got no cut?," Anderson probed.
"Are you kidding me, Brooke? You're asking me if I got a cut?," Stiviano replied without answering the question.