Who is Gabriella Zuniga? All we know about Shannon Sharpe's accuser

Shannon Sharpe, the former NFL player, is facing a lawsuit filed in Clark County, Nevada, on April 20, 2025.

The plaintiff's name is Jane Doe, as per the civil lawsuit. However, Sharpe had publicly identified her as Gabriella Zuninga. For the unversed, Gabriella and Sharpe were in a two-year relationship. In the lawsuit, she claimed that Sharpe had s*xually assaulted her on several occasions. She has also accused him of s*xual battery.

Gabriella, who goes by the name Karli Zuniga, is an OnlyFans content creator. According to HypeFresh, she creates content on the platform aimed at adult viewers.

More about Gabriella Zuniga, the accuser in the Shannon Sharpe case

Gabriella was 20 years old when she and Shannon began their relationship in 2023. As per the lawsuit, which is seeking $50 million in damages, she alleged that their relationship turned violent.

Gabriella is well-known in the online space, other than her OnlyFans account, which requires a subscription of £9.80 ($12.99) to access her content, she is also famous on Instagram. On the social media platform, she goes by the username @sheiskarli and has over 500k followers.

Zuniga has accused Shannon of ra*pe, emotional manipulation, and also claimed that Shannon had shared a private video without her consent. Claims and evidence regarding the lawsuit continue to come from both sides. Shannon and his legal team have denied the allegations. They also presented text messages as evidence that showed the relationship between Zuniga and Sharpe was consensual.

Recently, attorney Tony Bubzee, who is representing Gabriella, released an audio that is allegedly a conversation between Shannon and Gabriella. In the said audio, Shannon can be heard threatening to choke her.

Shannon responded by uploading a video on his social media handles in which he spoke about the case and called it a "shakedown." In the video, he also calls out Tony for targeting a black man. He said:

"This is a shakedown. I'm going to be open and transparent and defend myself because this isn't right. This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzbee, who has targeted Jay-Z. Tony Buzbee targets Black men, and I believe he's going to release a 30-second clip of a sex tape that tries to make me look guilty and plays into every stereotype you could possibly imagine."

As per Buzz Wire Daily, Shannon had allegedly offered Gabriella $10 million to settle the lawsuit before she went to court. Gabriella had, however, declined the amount.

Lanny Davis, Shannon's lawyer, shared his thoughts on the lawsuit. He said:

''It is filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations — and it will not succeed.''

The case has gained massive attention online. The pieces of evidence presented by both parties are contrasting and are sparking debates and discussions.

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