Retired NFL star Shawne Merriman is among four defendants ordered to pay the family of a deceased Playboy employee a $4 million judgement after losing a wrongful death civil suit, according to court files obtained by The Daily Mail.
A Los Angeles jury found Merriman and four other defendants liable for the 2017 death of Kimberly Fattorini, a former model who worked on various projects with Playboy. Fattorini’s death was ruled accidental after coroner tests found alcohol, cocaine and GHB – commonly known as the ‘date rape drug’ – in her system.
In a 2025 ruling, Merriman was found liable for Fattorini’s death along with co-defendants JP Castro, Eli Wehbe and Monica Maass. All four defendants have denied wrongdoing. The Daily Mail has sought comment from Merriman’s attorney.
Fattorini’s parents originally sued Merriman and others in 2019, claiming she was drugged and possibly sexually assaulted before her overdose death.
A sexual assault test was not conducted and although a coroner found contusions on her body, no photographs of the bruises were taken, according to that 2019 lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County and obtained by The Daily Mail.
That lawsuit also described Merriman arriving at co-defendant Eli Wehbe’s house, where Fattorini and other women were socializing. A witness said Merriman was clutching a bottle ‘filled with liquid,’ according to the complaint, which claimed Fattorini later texted Wehbe to tell him her drink was spiked.
Retired NFL star Shawne Merriman is among three defendants ordered to pay the family of a deceased Playboy employee a $4 million judgement after losing a wrongful death civil suit
A Los Angeles jury found Merriman and four other defendants liable for the 2017 death of Kimberly Fattorini (pictured), a former model who worked on various projects with Playboy
‘But Your friend just poor’d half G in my drink,’ read the transcript included in the complaint obtained by The Daily Mail.
The lawsuit explains that ‘G’ stands for ‘GHB.’
The group would move on to another apartment, where Fattorini’s friend ultimately discovered her lifeless body and called 911.
Paramedics found Fattorini nearly undressed when they arrived, according to the complaint.
‘She was half-naked with her jeans unzipped and unbuttoned, as though someone had tried to pull her jeans on to her body before the police or paramedics arrived,’ read the complaint. ‘Her bra was twisted and her lips were blue. She was also not wearing any underwear despite the fact that she had been going through her menstrual cycle that day and the evening before.’
Merriman was somehow able to leave between the 911 call and when the paramedics arrived, according to the complaint.
‘Maass also stated that after moving [Fattorini] to the floor, Merriman stated that he was very concerned about the media attention the incident might create since he was a celebrity, so he told Maass he had to leave. Somehow, under Maass’ version of events, Merriman escaped without being seen between the time the 911 call started and the time the paramedics arrived.’
Merriman, now 42, was a first-round pick out of Maryland before winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2005. He’d be named to the All-Pro First Team a year later, but was busted for violating the NFL’s steroid policy in 2006 and ultimately began to battle injury problems.
After leading the league in sacks with 17 in 2006, Merriman had just six over his final five injury-plagued seasons.
