In 2014, Cleopatra Coleman and V. Stiviano were both up-and-comers seeking success in their respective fields. Coleman had just moved from Australia to L.A. to pursue acting in the U.S.—and in the years since, she has become an underrated, versatile scene-stealer on projects ranging from last year’s gruesome Infinity Pool and the FOX comedy The Last Man on Earth. Stiviano was the assistant to LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling and his girlfriend at the time, and nearly overnight, she became an infamous tabloid figure when TMZ released a tape of Sterling telling her not to associate with Black people. Stiviano is still best known for the scandal and has remained out of the public eye to this day, save for one viral interview.
When the tape leaked, the private conflict between Stiviano and Donald’s wife Shelly Sterling became the nation’s monocultural scandal. It also led to a racial reckoning within the NBA revolving around players’ right to protest and what owners (now dubbed “governors”) can get away with regarding their teams.
