On Sunday, July 20, Gabriella Zuniga announced that she’s quitting the online creators platform OnlyFans, months after accusing Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe of rape. Zuniga decided to drop her lawsuit against Sharpe, reaching a $50 million settlement with the former NFL star.
In a since-deleted post, Zuniga penned the following farewell message to her fans on the adult content website.
“Today, I have decided to retire from OF. Thank you for the incredible support you’ve shown me over the past few years. This community has given me a life I could have never imagined,” she wrote.
“I’ll still be active on social media and have several new projects in the works that I can’t wait to share. I’m truly excited for this next chapter. I love you all forever and ever,” she added.
Her attorney, Tony Buzbee, said that after lengthy and “respectful negotiations,” the lawsuit between Zuniga and Sharpe had been resolved.
JANE DOE V. SHANNON SHARPE
On April 20, 2025, The Buzbee Law Firm filed a complaint in Nevada making several allegations against Shannon Sharpe on behalf of our client. Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship. After protracted and respectful…
— Tony Buzbee (@TonyBuzbee2) July 18, 2025
The lawsuit had accused Shannon Sharpe of sexual assault, battery, and infliction of emotional distress. According to court filings, the pair started dating in early 2023. Zuniga was 19 years old, and Sharpe was 55 at the time.
Per her recollection of events, the relationship turned dark in late 2024, with coerced sex acts, inappropriate videotaping, and public humiliation. She had alleged that Sharpe raped her twice in October 2024 and then in January 2025.
Dan Le Batard believes Shannon Sharpe will never return to ESPN
Now that his legal situation has been resolved, one of the big questions is whether Shannon Sharpe will return to his job on ESPN’s “First Take.” Sharpe left ESPN shortly after he was accused of rape in April 2025. According to former ESPN reporter Dan Le Batard, Sharpe will never return to ESPN.
“We probably all know at this point that Shannon Sharpe is not likely to ever work at ESPN again, right? I think we can reasonably assume Shannon Sharpe would like it to look like he has a chance to return,” said Le Batard on “The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” last Tuesday. “I don’t know if you can be Disney and allow any of what happened there.”
Understandably, the network isn’t willing to take the risk of taking Sharpe back into the fold. In similar cases, other public personalities have found it difficult to rehabilitate their public image even with full absolutions through an innocent verdict in a court of law (Think House of Cards’ Kevin Spacey). The fact that Sharpe had to resolve his legal woes through a costly settlement only casts a larger shadow over him.
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