Shelly Sterling says husband’s remarks on race may stem from dementia

Shelly Sterling says she may eventually divorce Donald Sterling and will fight efforts to force her to sell her share of the L.A. Clippers.

In an interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters, Shelly Sterling also suggested Donald Sterling is suffering from dementia, which she said could explain comments caught on tape in which he reportedly tells a female friend not to associate with black people.

“I was shocked by what he said,” she told Walters. “But I don’t know why I should be punished for what his actions were.”

The NBA responded to the recordings by banning Donald Sterling for life and saying it would seek to force him to sell the team. But Shelly Sterling said she sees the Clippers as part of her family legacy.

“I’m wondering if a wife of one of the owners, and there’s 30 owners, did something like that, said those racial slurs, would they oust the husband? Or would they leave the husband in?” she said.

Shelly Sterling also suggested that her husband might want to transfer full ownership of the team to her. As for their future as a couple, she said she had considered divorcing him for years but has not made any final decisions.

Also Sunday, Donald Sterling sat down for an interview with Anderson Cooper, which is set to air on CNN Monday.

The interviews come more than a week after Walters talked with the woman at the center of the scandal, V. Stiviano.

Stiviano said Sterling feels alone and isolated after being banned from the NBA over recorded comments in which he tells her not to associate with black people.

When Walters asked Stiviano if Sterling is a racist, she replied: “No, I don’t believe it in my heart,” according to 20/20.

She noted that Sterling, 50 years her senior, is of a different generation. She said she didn’t take his comments about blacks as bigoted.

Still, she said he should apologize for what he said.

Walters said Stiviano had seen Sterling earlier and asked how he was doing.

“I think he feels very alone, not truly supported by those around him. Tormented, emotionally traumatized,” she said.