Gabriella Zuniga Met a Then 50-Something Shannon Sharpe When She Was 19

Content Warning: This article mentions sexual assault and rape.

NFL Pro-turned-media personality Shannon Sharpe has rebranded himself many times. From his days hitting the pavement for the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens, he learned he could make even more money (with far less pain) by using his voice as a broadcaster and, later, talk show host on Club Shay Shay.

Shannon's work has kept many doors open for him. However, his relationships have also kept him in the spotlight. On his platform, he frequently discusses his past relationships. But in 2025, one of his exes, Gabriella Zuniga, brought his name up in a $50 million lawsuit.

In the lawsuit, Gabriella details a tumultuous relationship with Shannon. Here's what to know about the exes' relationship timeline.

Gabrielle's complaint, filed in Nevada against Shannon, stated she was 19 when she met the NFL champ in 2023. At the time, he was 53 years old. Gabriella said they met at the gym when he allegedly offered to buy her breast implants if she won a weight-loss challenge. They began flirting before starting a consensual relationship. However, she said the dynamics of their relationship changed over time.

After about one year together, Gabriella claimed that her and Shannon's relationship turned sour in October 2024. In her lawsuit, she said he sexually assaulted her, stating he "intentionally filmed them having sex without her knowledge, adding that he caused her emotional distress," per The Blast.

She also noted that, while she wasn't the woman who, a month before the alleged abuse, was recorded having sex with Shannon on Instagram Live (the woman in question was vividly referred to as "Michelle" in the live), she highlighted the act and said she was humiliated by the ordeal.

Gabriella mentioned another instance of Shannon allegedly sexually assaulting her in January 2025. During the alleged act, she said he assaulted her under the pretense they were reconnecting for him to give her a gift.

Shannon's legal team fought back by releasing screenshots of text messages between her and Shannon from 2023 to 2025. One message from October 2023 showed her texting him, "I want you to put a dog collar around my neck and choke me with it while you're f----ng me." Then, Shannon and his lawyer, Lanny J. Davis, alleged that Gabriella texted him in January 2025 "I know u miss this juicy a--...$25k for each cheek." He also claimed they were sexually active the day before she sent the texts.

Shannon and his legal team have vehemently denied Gabriella's abuse claims. In a statement shared on his social media accounts, he stated that the video she shared was "heavily edited and taken entirely out of context," and was intentionally "crafted to portray a consensual act as non-consensual." He also mentioned that Gabriella refused to send him the full video. Shannon also said her reason for making her allegations against him was to "extract a large financial statement," using her text messages to further prove his claim.

"These messages are just a sampling of a broader pattern of graphic, sexual communications initiated by Ms. Zuniga," his lawyer said. "The evidence paints a clear picture: this was a consensual, adult relationship that included role-playing, sexual language, and fantasy scenarios explicitly requested by Ms. Zuniga."

"But Mr. Sharpe now believes her secret taping was all part of her planned set-up as part of her blackmail scheme, as distorted by her edited tape, a copy of which she refused to make available to Mr. Sharpe or his counsel," he added.

In the final piece of his statement, Shannon's attorney maintained his client's innocence.

"He stands firmly by the truth and is prepared to fight these false claims vigorously in court," Davis said of his client. "He looks forward to vindication through due process and a judgment based on the facts and the law."

The case between Gabriella and Shannon remains ongoing,