So, let’s talk about the name that basically took over the internet last year. If you spent any time on sports Twitter or celebrity gossip sites in 2025, you couldn't escape it. Gabriella Zuniga Los Angeles—a name that, for a few months, was synonymous with a $50 million legal earthquake involving NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe.
It was messy. It was public. And honestly, it changed the trajectory of a major media career while launching a 20-year-old into a spotlight she eventually chose to walk away from.
People are still asking what happened to the money, where she is now, and whether the "Shay Shay Pension Plan" jokes actually had some truth to them.
The Lawsuit That Shook ESPN
The whole saga kicked off in April 2025. A woman, initially identified only as "Jane Doe," filed a massive $50 million lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe. The allegations were heavy: sexual assault, emotional abuse, and claims of unauthorized recordings.
Sharpe’s legal team didn't stay quiet. They quickly identified the accuser as Gabriella Zuniga, an OnlyFans content creator. At the time, Sharpe was a massive fixture at ESPN, having moved there after his legendary run on Undisputed. But as the lawsuit gained steam, the pressure became too much. Sharpe stepped away from his high-profile roles. The "Club Shay Shay" host was suddenly fighting for his reputation in a Nevada court.
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What made this case different from your standard celeb legal battle was the digital trail.
Zuniga's lawyer, the high-powered Tony Buzbee (the same guy who handled the Deshaun Watson cases), described the relationship as "consensual but tumultuous." That’s a polite way of saying it was a disaster. Sharpe’s team fired back with texts and evidence trying to prove everything was above board, even accusing Zuniga of blackmail.
It was a classic "he-said, she-said" played out on a global stage.
The Sudden Retirement
By July 18, 2025, it was over. Or at least, the legal part was.
Buzbee announced a settlement. The lawsuit was dismissed "with prejudice," which basically means it can never be refiled. We don’t know the exact number—settlements like this are locked behind non-disclosure agreements—but the rumor mill suggests it was significantly higher than the $10 million floor people were speculating about.
Then came the move that caught everyone off guard.
Within 24 hours of the settlement, Gabriella Zuniga announced she was retiring from OnlyFans. She was only 20. She’d been pulling in six figures a month, according to some reports, but she posted a goodbye message to her fans saying this community gave her a life she "could have never imagined."
Some people called it a "payout plan." Others saw it as a young woman finally getting the financial freedom to leave an industry she no longer wanted to be a part of.
Life After the Settlement in Los Angeles
Living in Los Angeles as a public figure after a scandal is… a lot. Zuniga, who often used the handle @sheiskarli, had amassed nearly half a million followers by the peak of the controversy.
But then she went quiet.
She deleted or locked most of her main accounts. There was a weird moment where another girl with the same name in Canada had to post a public "it's not me!" because she was getting harrassed by sports fans. The actual Gabriella Zuniga seemed to pivot toward a more private life, at least for a while.
There have been sightings and cryptic posts. In late 2025, she shared a Bible verse—2 Samuel 22:43—on her story, leading some to speculate she was leaning into her faith. It’s a common path for people who have been through the meat grinder of the adult industry and high-stakes litigation.
Why the Case Still Matters in 2026
We’re now into 2026, and the dust has mostly settled, but the "Gabriella Zuniga Los Angeles" story remains a case study in how social media and celebrity law collide.
- The Power of the NDA: We will likely never know what really happened in those hotel rooms or at Sharpe's home because the settlement ensures silence.
- Influencer Agency: Zuniga used her platform to fund a top-tier legal team. Most 20-year-olds can't afford Tony Buzbee.
- The Pivot: She proved you can "exit" the internet. While many thought she’d use the fame to become a reality star, she chose to take the money and lower her profile.
Sharpe has since been working on his comeback, but the shadow of 2025 still hangs over his brand. For Zuniga, the "next chapter" she teased in her retirement post seems to be one of quiet independence.
What You Should Know Moving Forward
If you're following this story, don't expect a tell-all book anytime soon. The legal finality of the settlement makes that almost impossible.
Instead, look at the way she’s managing her digital footprint now. She’s moved away from the "Karli" persona and toward something more curated. If you're looking for her on social media today, you’ll find a lot of "fan pages" and "leaked" archives, but the woman herself has mostly checked out of the public eye.
Next Steps:
- Be wary of "new" Gabriella Zuniga accounts asking for money or subscriptions; many are impersonators leveraging her old fame.
- If you're researching the legal specifics, look for the Nevada court filings from April 2025 for the original complaints before they were sealed.
- Watch for her name to pop up in fitness or wellness spaces, as that was her original niche before the OnlyFans era took over.