The woman who accused Shannon Sharpe of sexual abuse in an explosive civil lawsuit, and later settled for an undisclosed amount, says she now wants to be referred to as a “boss.”
Gabriella Zuniga filed her lawsuit anonymously on April 20, but has since publicly revealed her identity.
On Saturday, the former OnlyFans model posted a since-deleted selfie on Instagram, showing herself dressed in a black power suit, camisole, sunglasses, and holding a Chanel handbag.
She included a caption asking her friends and followers to stop calling her “Gabby” and to show her respect.
“From now on, when you see me, refer to me as Gabriella Zuniga, Ma’am, or Boss,” the caption read.
Related: Mo’Nique Voices Support for Shannon Sharpe After Lawsuit Settlement and ESPN Ouster
Zuniga uploaded the post after settling her $50 million lawsuit against Sharpe. Her attorney Tony Buzbee announced the settlement on July 18, saying the two sides had reached a “mutually agreed upon resolution.”
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Within days, Zuniga announced she was leaving OnlyFans and would no longer be bringing her subscribers adult content on the platform. “Today, I have decided to retire from OF,” she wrote in a deleted post reshared by the Art of Dialogue July 20 on X.
“Thank you for the incredible support you’ve shown me over the past few years,” she continued. “This community has given me a life I could have never imagined. 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.”
Zuniga’s 13-page lawsuit alleged Sharpe “violently” assaulted and raped her twice at the end of 2024 and once in early 2025.
The lawsuit said they met in 2023 when she was 19 and Sharpe was in his 50s. The two had a “rocky consensual relationship” for nearly two years, according to the complaint.
Zuniga alleged the “Club Shay Shay” podcast host became abusive when she confronted him about seeing other women. “Sharpe refused to accept the answer no and raped Plaintiff, despite her sobbing and repeated screams of ‘no,’” the complaint said.
The then-ESPN analyst denied the allegations.
“This is a shakedown. I’m going to be open, transparent, and defend myself because this isn’t right,” Sharpe said. “This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzbee, who has targeted Jay-Z. Tony Buzbee targets Black men.”
ESPN parted ways with the Pro Football Hall-of-Famer nearly two weeks after he settled the complaint.
The former Denver Broncos tight end was a regular contributor on First Take, until the lawsuit dominated the news cycle.
On April 24, Sharpe announced he was “temporarily” stepping away from ESPN to focus on the “false” allegations against him. At the time, some sports analysts predicted he would not return to the Disney-owned network. Their forecasts turned out to be correct.
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
