Stars of the FX and Hulu series ‘Clipped’ talk scandals, stories and the Sterlings

LOS ANGELES — It was the scandal that rocked and shocked Los Angeles and the NBA.

In 2014, as the LA Clippers were fighting to become NBA champions, audio recordings of racist comments made by the team’s owner Donald Sterling were leaked to the press. It’s the subject of a new FX limited series, “Clipped,” on Hulu.

On The Red Carpet spoke with the stars at the series premiere in Hollywood.

“I remember when it happened and everybody was talking about it. My coffee shop, you know, everyone was talking about it,” said Ed O’Neill, who plays Donald Sterling.

“I read the tapes, when the tapes came out, and I thought, ohhh that isn’t good, you know. This may end badly.”

Jacki Weaver plays Donald’s wife, Shelly Sterling. She told On The Red Carpet that at the time, a lot of people had the wrong idea about Shelly.

“I’m what everyone thinks is the quiet little elderly wife who’s suddenly had enough of what she’s had to put up with, which is the scandal and this girlfriend who’s muscled her way in,” Weaver said.

“Shelly Sterling, in the end, comes out on top ’cause she says ‘hang on you lost the team, but I’m a half owner and I’m selling it for $2 billion.'”

One of the more layered characters in “Clipped” is that of Sterling’s assistant and mistress, V. Stiviano, played by Cleopatra Coleman. She’s the one who made the recordings of Sterling.

“When the scandal took place, I was living in LA, I had just moved here. And there was a lot of talk about V., you know, as a certain type of person. But there’s so much to her, she’s a human being of course, so it was really fulfilling to explore that,” Coleman explained.

“It was just something I really relished; it was so thrilling to play her. She’s a very bold individual.”

V. Stiviano’s actions had a huge impact on the Clippers players and coach, Doc Rivers, played by Laurence Fishburne. The series shows Rivers’ struggle to keep his team together and not walking out in the midst of a consequential, and in the end unsuccessful, playoff run.

“Someone asked me what I think the nucleus of the story is and I do think it’s about Doc and his players and what they had to endure,” explained J. Alphonse Nicholson, who plays Clippers player Chris Paul.

“I think the other parts of it are very entertaining but also there’s a deeper core to what these people had to go through. And I think it’s all worth seeing. It’s very funny at times but also very dark too, a dark humor. And I think the leaders of this show, Ed O’Neill, Jacki Weaver, Laurence Fishburne, they carried it very well.

The limited series is based on the ESPN 30 for 30 podcast “The Sterling Affairs,” with Ramona Shelburne.

Writer, showrunner and executive producer Gina Welch said she had the most fun delving into this story.

“In truth, it’s like all the characters in the show are delicious to write and especially once you get the actors playing them,” Welch said.

The first two episodes of “Clipped” are streaming now on Hulu, with new episodes dropping every Tuesday.

Disney is the parent company of FX, Hulu and this ABC station.