Former NFL star Shawne Merriman has been ordered to pay damages as part of a $4 million wrongful death judgment involving a former Playboy employee who died from a drug overdose following a night of partying in Los Angeles.
The former San Diego Chargers linebacker was among four defendants found liable in connection with the 2017 death of Kimberly Fattorini, a 30-year-old model and Playboy casting associate.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, a Los Angeles judge officially entered the $4 million judgment on October 5, more than nine years after Fattorini’s death and one year after a jury ruled in favor of her parents.
The judgment names Merriman alongside J.P. Castro, Monica Maass and Elias Wehbe. The $4 million represents the total award against the defendants, not an individual $4 million penalty imposed on Merriman alone.
Fattorini’s parents, DeAnn and Ferdinand Fattorini, filed the wrongful death lawsuit in 2019, alleging that their daughter was drugged and possibly sexually assaulted before her fatal overdose.
The lawsuit centered on events surrounding a night out in Hollywood, where Fattorini had attended a gathering with friends and acquaintances.
According to the family’s legal complaint, Fattorini sent a text message to a nightclub promoter suggesting that someone connected to Merriman had placed gamma-hydroxybutyrate, commonly known as GHB, into her drink.
GHB is a central nervous system depressant that can cause sedation, confusion and loss of consciousness. It has also been associated with drug-facilitated sexual assault.
An autopsy determined that Fattorini died from an accidental overdose. Toxicology testing revealed alcohol, cocaine and GHB in her system.
Her parents subsequently challenged the circumstances surrounding her death, arguing that the actions of several people who were with their daughter contributed to the fatal outcome.
Merriman has consistently denied wrongdoing.
His representative previously dismissed the allegations as baseless, maintaining that police had investigated the circumstances and found no evidence establishing that Merriman was responsible for Fattorini’s death.
The civil case nevertheless continued through years of legal proceedings before reaching a jury in 2025.
Following the trial, jurors found Merriman and the three other defendants liable and awarded Fattorini’s parents $4 million in damages.
The October 5 judgment formally recorded that award, marking a significant development in the family’s lengthy legal battle.
The ruling also resolved claims involving several entertainment businesses that had been named in the lawsuit.
The judge ruled in favor of the nightclub defendants, including The Highlight Room, Tao Group and The Warwick, meaning those businesses will not be required to pay damages under the judgment.
Although the civil verdict establishes liability for damages, it is not a criminal conviction.
Civil lawsuits generally require plaintiffs to prove their claims by a preponderance of the evidence, a lower standard than the proof beyond a reasonable doubt required in criminal prosecutions.
Merriman has not been convicted of a crime in connection with Fattorini’s death.
The former linebacker, nicknamed “Lights Out” during his NFL career, became one of football’s most recognizable defensive players after the Chargers selected him in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft.
He earned NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2005 and went on to receive three Pro Bowl selections. Merriman played primarily for the Chargers before finishing his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and retiring in 2013.
Since leaving football, he has pursued business ventures and remained involved in professional sports and entertainment.
The latest judgment brings renewed attention to Fattorini’s death and the allegations that have followed Merriman for years.