Ex-NFL Star Merriman Ordered to Pay $4M in Playboy Model’s Overdose Death

A Los Angeles judge has ordered former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman and three co-defendants to pay a combined $4 million to the family of a Playboy casting associate who died of an accidental overdose nearly a decade ago.
The judgment, entered on October 5, formalizes a 2025 jury verdict that found Merriman, nightclub promoter Elias Wehbe, J.P. Castro and Monica Maass liable in the wrongful death of Kimberly Fattorini. Court documents obtained by TMZ Sports show the award goes to Fattorini’s parents, DeAnn and Ferdinand Fattorini.

Fattorini, 30, was found unresponsive on July 21, 2017, at Maass’s West Hollywood apartment after a night out that began at The Highlight Room. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled her death an accident caused by the combined effects of alcohol, cocaine and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a powerful depressant often called the “date-rape drug.”

Her parents filed suit in 2019, alleging that Fattorini had been drugged without her knowledge and possibly sexually assaulted before she collapsed. Central to their claims was a text she allegedly sent to Wehbe that night: “But Your friend just poor’d half G in my drink.” The family argued the “G” referred to GHB. The complaint also accused the defendants of negligence, battery and violations of California’s Drug Dealer Liability Act, and claimed emergency help was delayed.

Merriman, 42, has consistently denied the allegations. His representative previously called the lawsuit “baseless,” stating that police investigated the incident thoroughly and found no evidence of wrongdoing on his part. No criminal charges were ever filed; the Sheriff’s Department closed its investigation in September 2017.

The judge cleared the nightclub defendants—The Highlight Room, Tao Group and The Warwick—of any liability, meaning they will not contribute to the damages.

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Merriman, nicknamed “Lights Out,” starred as a pass-rusher for the San Diego Chargers from 2005 to 2010 after being selected 12th overall out of Maryland. He earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2005 and made three Pro Bowls before finishing his career with the Buffalo Bills and retiring in 2013 at age 28.

The civil judgment comes more than nine years after Fattorini’s death and ends a long legal battle that began with the family’s 2019 lawsuit.

The $4 million award is joint and several among the four defendants; no public breakdown of individual shares has been reported.