Plot Synopsis

Based on ESPN's 30 for 30 podcast, The Sterling Affairs, CLIPPED is a six-episode drama series that goes behind the scenes of a notorious NBA owner's racist remarks, captured on a tape heard around the world. This limited series charts the collision between a dysfunctional basketball organization and even less functional marriage, and the precipitating tape's impact on an ensemble of characters striving to win against the backdrop of the most cursed team in the league. Famed coach Doc Rivers arrives as coach of the LA Clippers in 2013. With a promising roster of big personalities, Rivers has the building blocks to win the franchise's first championship. The team's owner, Donald Sterling, is a well-known problem: he's cheap, he's erratic, he's a bully. But minimizing Sterling's influence to win a title becomes a personal quest for Doc. Meanwhile, a courtside power struggle escalates between Sterling's ambitious personal assistant V. Stiviano and his wife and business partner of 60 years, Shelly. Clipped is an Obama-era story of racial reckoning delivered via meme, in which V. and the Sterlings discover who really has the power in the internet age, and which leaves Rivers and his players wondering if the expulsion of one bad apple brings about the transformative change the media wants to celebrate. CLIPPED debuted with two episodes on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 on FX on Hulu, with a new installment dropping weekly through July 2:

"White Party" (Tuesday, June 4, 2024): Doc fights chemistry problems created by Donald's favoritism and harassment. The fragile love triangle between Donald, Shelly and V. combusts when V. refuses to stay out of sight. And attendance is mandatory at the tackiest white party in Labor Day history.

"A Blessing and a Curse" (Tuesday, June 4, 2024): As the team stumbles in the opening round of the playoffs, Doc schools them in how to insulate their game from distractions. When Donald and Shelly solidify their bond with a massage and a massive lawsuit, V. threatens to go public with a shocking tape.

"Let the Games Begin" (Tuesday, June 11, 2024): The tape hits TMZ, right in time to disrupt the Clippers' hard-won momentum and Donald's 80th birthday. V. responds to the outrage with curious sartorial choices.

"Winning Ugly" (Tuesday, June 18, 2024): Behind every great fortune is the opportunity to sell the f out.

"The Best Words" (Tuesday, June 25, 2024): V. tries to explain herself to Barbara Walters. Doc finds himself doing everybody's job. The Sterlings face consequences.

"Keep Smiling" (Tuesday, July 2, 2024): Donald isn't going to give it up that easy.