Why The Woman in Donald Sterling’s Alleged Racist Tape Changed Her Name
April 30, 2014— -- The woman on the receiving end of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling’s alleged racist rant is V. Stiviano – but she wasn’t always.
Born Maria Vanessa Perez, Stiviano legally changed her name in Los Angeles in August 2010.
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Stiviano, 31, who describes herself as black and Mexican in the leaked tapes, told the court she wanted a name change because she felt she hadn’t “yet been fully accepted because of my race.”
Her petition was approved and the usual court fees were waived.
Coincidentally, her discussion with the man alleged to be Sterling that resulted in the Clippers' owner being banned from the NBA was about race as Sterling chastised her for posing with black men in photos posted on social media.
The woman with the one-letter moniker has an active presence online, posting glamorous snapshots of her modeling shoots, trips abroad and pricey handbags.
