A major development has surfaced in the ongoing legal battle between former NFL star and ESPN personality Shannon Sharpe and his accuser, Gabriella Zuniga. Zuniga and her attorney, Tony Buzbee, claim to have key evidence in the form of a sex tape they allege documents a non-consensual encounter.
In addition to the alleged footage, audio has reportedly been leaked of Sharpe allegedly threatening to choke Zuniga. Sharpe has denied wrongdoing and previously responded to the $50 million lawsuit in a video, claiming that only a 30-second clip of the tape was made public to paint him in a negative light. He has since called on Buzbee to release the full version, which Sharpe insists is closer to 10 minutes and tells a very different story.
According to a report by The Neighborhood Talk, this sex tape only became public knowledge because Sharpe himself brought it up. In a statement to TMZ Sports, Buzbee clarified that neither he nor Zuniga ever intended to leak the footage, stating they consider it crucial evidence in the case.
Buzbee also revealed that during a recent mediation session, which Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny J. Davis, confirmed took place within the last month, Sharpe was given “multiple” opportunities to view the tape. Buzbee says Sharpe declined every time. While Sharpe’s team reportedly tried to settle the lawsuit for $10 million before it became public, the refusal to view the tape could be seen in different ways: either as a dismissal of its significance or as a strategic legal move.
As for Zuniga, she’s been identified online and by Sharpe’s camp as an OnlyFans model who goes by the name “Karli” on the platform. She claims she was 19 when she met Sharpe at a gym in 2023 and that the two entered into what started as a consensual relationship. According to her, it later turned physically and emotionally abusive before ending in early 2025.
Whether the tape ever sees the light of day remains uncertain. For now, the case continues to develop and the public continues to watch closely.