Woman at center of Donald Sterling scandal is 'very saddened' by ban

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling sits with V. Stiviano during a 2010 game. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok, File) The woman at the center of the scandal

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling sits with V. Stiviano during a 2010 game. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok, File)

The woman at the center of the scandal involving Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling said that she is "very saddened" at the punishment levied to Sterling by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

V. Stiviano, through her attorney Mac Nehoray, also told the Los Angeles Timesthat she "never wanted any harm to Donald.”

The NBA banned Sterling for life and fined him $2.5 million after a recording surfaced in which Sterling was heard making remarks about blacks.

More from the Los Angeles Times:

Nehoray said that “someone released it for money” but it wasn’t Stiviano.

“My client is devastated that this got out,” he said.

The attorney also said that Stiviano and Sterling never had any sort of romantic relationship and descriptions of her as his mistress in a lawsuit filed by Sterling’s wife are false.

Sterling's wife, Rochelle, sued Stiviano last month in an effort to reclaim a $1.8-million apartment, luxury autos and cash Sterling gave her.

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