A Los Angeles judge has entered a $4 million judgment against former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman and three others in a wrongful death lawsuit tied to the 2017 overdose death of Playboy casting associate Kimberly Fattorini, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The judgment, entered Oct. 5, holds Merriman, J.P. Castro, Monica Maass and Elias Wehbe liable following a 2025 jury finding that the four individuals were responsible. The award goes to Fattorini’s parents, DeAnn and Ferdinand Fattorini. Nightclub defendants — including The Highlight Room, Tao Group and The Warwick — were not held liable and will not pay damages.
Fattorini, 30, died July 21, 2017, after a night of partying. The Los Angeles County coroner ruled the death accidental, citing a combination of alcohol, cocaine and gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a substance commonly known as a date-rape drug. Authorities investigated and closed the case without filing criminal charges against anyone.
Her parents filed the civil lawsuit in 2019, alleging Merriman and others drugged their daughter and possibly sexually assaulted her before she overdosed. The complaint claimed Fattorini texted a club promoter that a friend of Merriman’s had poured GHB into her drink. Additional allegations in the suit referenced texts and witness accounts involving the after-party, according to prior reporting. The case also included claims of negligence, battery and violation of California’s Drug Dealer Liability Act.
Merriman, now 42, has long denied the allegations. A representative told TMZ in 2019 that the claims were baseless, that he attended an after-party where a woman overdosed, and that police found no evidence of wrongdoing on his part. No public response from Merriman to the October judgment had been reported as of Monday.
Fattorini worked as a casting associate at Playboy and did part-time modeling, including for Maxim and FHM Thailand. Merriman played eight seasons in the NFL, primarily with the San Diego Chargers and briefly with the Buffalo Bills. The three-time Pro Bowler and 2005 Defensive Rookie of the Year retired in 2013.
The judgment comes more than nine years after Fattorini’s death and follows earlier procedural delays, including bankruptcy proceedings involving Merriman. Enforcement of the civil award may require additional court steps related to those proceedings.
Flip the pages for photos of Kimberly Fattorini RIP.
