Influencer Gabriella Zuniga Files $50 Million Civil Suit Against Shannon Sharpe, Alleging Rape, Abuse, and Covert Filming Without Consent
April 23, 2025
LOS ANGELES, CA — Gabriella Zuniga, a fitness influencer known to her large online following as sheiskarli, has filed a $50 million civil lawsuit against former NFL star and media personality Shannon Sharpe. The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges multiple instances of rape, threats of violence, covert filming, and a pattern of coercive emotional control that spanned several months of 2024 and into early 2025.
According to court documents and a detailed personal statement released by Zuniga, the two first met at a private gym in Los Angeles in mid-2024. What began as a seemingly consensual relationship, she says, quickly turned into a deeply disturbing and traumatic ordeal—one she claims was marked by fear, manipulation, and escalating abuse.
Allegations of Sexual Assault and Coercion
Zuniga, 29, alleges that she was raped on two separate occasions by Sharpe, the second of which took place in January 2025. In that instance, she says Sharpe threatened to kill her if she attempted to leave or report him. The complaint states that she was also secretly filmed during at least one of the assaults without her knowledge or consent—an act that she says has compounded her emotional distress and fear of exposure.
In the 67-page civil suit, Zuniga’s legal team claims that Sharpe used his public influence and private intimidation to silence her. “He told her nobody would believe her. That if she spoke, she’d regret it,” the filing reads. “What he didn’t count on was her finding her voice.”
Claims of Emotional Manipulation and Isolation
The lawsuit further outlines a disturbing pattern of psychological manipulation. Zuniga claims Sharpe isolated her from friends and family, gaslit her about her own memories, and used his celebrity status to create an environment where she felt trapped. Messages allegedly sent by Sharpe and included in the filing paint a picture of control, possessiveness, and frequent verbal degradation.
“He made me feel like I didn’t exist outside of him,” Zuniga said in a separate written statement posted to her Instagram, where she has over 1.2 million followers. “He told me who to talk to, what to wear, when to speak. I stopped being me. I was just someone surviving.”
Legal Action and Public Outcry
Zuniga is seeking $50 million in damages for sexual battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy, and coercive control. Her legal team, led by civil rights attorney Maricela Reyes, says this case is about accountability—both personal and systemic.
“We are demanding justice not only for Gabriella but for every survivor who’s been told to be quiet, to be ashamed, to disappear,” Reyes said during a press conference outside the courthouse on Monday. “No amount of fame excuses this behavior. No amount of money can bury the truth.”
Condolences and words of support have poured in for Zuniga from fans, fellow influencers, and advocacy groups across the country. Many have taken to social media using hashtags like #JusticeForKarli and #BelieveSurvivors, urging the media and public to give space to Zuniga’s voice and story.
Shannon Sharpe Responds
As of this publication, Sharpe has not been criminally charged and denies all allegations. In a brief statement through his attorney, he called the claims “categorically false” and described the lawsuit as “an outrageous attempt at character assassination.”
“We intend to fight these claims vigorously in court,” the statement read. “Mr. Sharpe is confident the truth will prevail.”
Sharpe, 56, a Hall of Fame tight end and longtime media personality on networks like ESPN and FS1, has remained largely silent since news of the lawsuit broke, and has yet to make any public appearance addressing the matter.
A Larger Conversation
Zuniga’s case has reopened conversations about the intersection of power, gender, and accountability in both the sports and influencer worlds. Experts point out that high-profile civil suits like this can lead to cultural shifts—forcing public figures and institutions to take a harder look at the behavior of those in the spotlight.
“This isn’t just a celebrity scandal. It’s a reflection of how many systems fail survivors,” said Dr. Lena Robles, a trauma-informed therapist and gender justice advocate. “The cost of speaking out is enormous. But so is the cost of silence.”
Zuniga says she’s not pursuing the case for fame or financial gain. She’s doing it, she insists, so no one else has to live what she lived.
“I refuse to be afraid anymore,” she said. “If I lose everything but save even one other person from this kind of pain, it will have been worth it.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual violence, help is available. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org.