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The parents of former Playboy model Kimberly Fattorini — who died of an overdose in 2017 while hanging out with former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman and his friends — provided graphic text messages from the night she died during the legal battle over the $4 million they were awarded in a wrongful death lawsuit, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
In October, a Los Angeles judge ordered Merriman and three other defendants, J.P. Castro, Monica Maass and Elias Wehbe, to pay the seven-figure sum after a jury found them liable in 2025.
Kimberly’s parents are asking the judge to keep the award in place and not reduce it after Elias, a former nightclub promoter and associate of Merriman, argued the evidence presented at the trial wasn’t enough to justify the $4 million award.
In response, Kimberly’s parents shared alleged texts Elias sent on the night their daughter died, where he told her to come to his home to do “blow,” another word for cocaine.
Another alleged text showed the defendants talking about “whores” and drugs at the house.
Kimberly’s parents said there was more than enough evidence at trial to support the judgment, per TMZ.
At the trial, her parents claimed Elias looked on as an inebriated Kimberly got into an Uber with Merriman after he read a text message from Kimberly telling him that Merriman put GHB — a date rape drug — in her drink.
At the time, her parents alleged Elias liked to drug women in hopes they would be more willing to have sex.
Kimberly’s death was ruled an accident, and officials said she had cocaine, alcohol and GHB in her system.
Merriman denied any allegations of wrongdoing.
He was the 12th overall pick by the Chargers in the 2005 NFL draft and the Defensive Rookie of the Year.
He spent the first six seasons of his NFL career in Los Angeles and was a Pro Bowl selection from 2005–07, leading the league in sacks in 2006, the same year he was named first-team All-Pro.
Merriman was claimed off waivers by the Bills and played in just one game in 2010, and was plagued by injuries in 2011.
He was released and then re-signed with the Bills in 2012 before retiring in 2013.
