Shannon Sharpe's Rape Accuser Announces Retirement From OnlyFans After Reaching Settlement In Lawsuit

Just days after reaching a settlement in her sexual assault lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe, Gabriella Zuniga has announced she is retiring from the subscription-based platform OnlyFans.

Zuniga initially filed a $50 million lawsuit against Sharpe in April 2025 under the name Jane Doe. Her lawyer, Tony Buzbee, confirmed the pair had a relationship; however, he alleged the Super Bowl champion was physically abusive, and "demanded complete control of [Zuniga's] time and body."

Sharpe quickly responded to the lawsuit, claiming he was the target of what he called Buzbee's "shakedown" attempts and vowing to sue the lawyer "for defamation and trying to take me down."

Then, in July 2025, Buzbee shared that both parties had reached a conclusion, adding that the lawsuit had been dismissed with prejudice and their "respectful negotiations" led to a "mutually agreed upon resolution."

Although the terms of the settlement remain confidential, the sum appears to be substantial, as Zuniga recently announced her retirement from OnlyFans.

“Today, I have decided to retire from [OnlyFans],” Zuniga wrote online.

“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. 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.”

For those unfamiliar, OnlyFans is a subscription-based platform where creators earn money by providing exclusive content to their fans, ranging from fitness and music to more sexually explicit material.

Zuniga's announcement sent shockwaves across the internet, with many interpreting her retirement as a sign of a massive settlement and blasting Sharpe over the ordeal.

"That girl got rich [and] said she never gotta work again," one user wrote, adding, "check mateee."

Another user echoed that sentiment, writing, "I'm actually happy for her. She saw an easy opportunity and took it."

A third quipped, "That settlement just hit her bank account. The numbers must be good, that's why she's retiring. Ain't mad at it."

Other users offered a different perspective, with one specifically calling Sharpe's behavior "so disappointing."

"He could've fed so many Black families in need with this money, but now it's in her ... hands," they added.

Following the lawsuit, the podcaster, known for his "Nightcap" and "Club Shay Shay" shows, announced that he and ESPN had mutually agreed to pause their working relationship until the start of the NFL preseason.

In a statement, Sharpe first addressed his relationship with Zuniga, calling it "100% consensual" before announcing his break from the popular sports show "First Take."

"I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends, and colleagues," he finished.

Sharpe's longtime friend and ESPN colleague, Stephen A. Smith, weighed in on the "sad situation" and shared he was "hopeful and prayerful" that Sharpe would weather the storm.

“In my perfect world, [Sharpe] moves on and somehow, some way, we find this all to be false,” Smith said. “But it doesn’t seem like that’s the way things are about to go down, considering how Mr. Buzbee is and how emphatic his client is proclaiming that she is right and she is telling the truth. I don’t know where this is going to go. I can’t speak to anything else.”

Sharpe's legal troubles have also impacted another of his business ventures: his nightly podcast with former Cincinnati Bengals player Chad Johnson.

“We’ve decided to postpone the 'Nightcap tour,'” Sharpe said. “We look forward to seeing you guys in the summer of 2026. It’s going to be even bigger, even better. But Ocho and I have come to the conclusion that this is the best thing as of right now, was to postpone the tour. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you in 2026.”