Shivangi Sinha
In July 2017, authorities responded to a call about Kimberly Fattorini, a casting associate for Playboy, who was found unconscious at a residence in West Hollywood, California. Emergency responders discovered her unresponsive on the floor and pronounced her dead at the scene. Initially, the medical examiner determined that her cause of death was a drug overdose. However, a year later, her parents filed a lawsuit claiming that Kimberly had been assaulted prior to her death. The episode titled ‘Last Dance’ from ID’s ‘The Playboy Murders’ delves into the events surrounding her death and the various allegations made by her family.
Kimberly Fattorini Was Thriving at Her Job as a Playboy Casting Associate
Kimberly Fattorini was born on October 18, 1986, to DeAnn and Ferdinand Fattorini in Los Angeles, California. From a young age, she was known for being intelligent, determined, and full of promise. Her parents always believed she was destined for success, and she did prove them right. She earned a double major in Business Administration and Economics from Whittier College in Whittier, California, where she was recognized as an “Outstanding Student” in 2009. It was after this that she discovered her passion for the entertainment industry. In 2010, she landed a role as a casting assistant for the TV series ‘Badass!,’ which marked the beginning of her professional journey. Shortly afterward, she became a casting assistant for ‘Playboy’s Beach House.’
Alongside her behind-the-scenes work, Kimberly also aspired to become an actress. In 2012, she got the chance to star in an episode of ‘The Hi-Life,’ and in 2014, she took on a role in a project titled ‘The Hands of Time.’ She remained actively involved with Playboy, working as a Casting Associate for Playboy Plus and participating in various productions, including the Playboy TV segment ‘What a Girl Wants: Bedroom Etiquette.’ She also made guest appearances on Playboy Radio. Despite enjoying her casting work, she held onto the dream of becoming a model herself. However, by the time she turned 30 in October 2016, those ambitions felt further out of reach. Around the same time, she experienced a personal setback when she ended her long-term relationship with fellow casting director Sam Rhima.
Kimberly Fattorini Passed Away After a Night of Partying With Her Friends
On July 20, 2017, Kimberly was invited to a Thursday night party at a newly opened rooftop club called The Highlight Room, located at the Dream Hollywood Hotel. The invitation reportedly came from Elias Wehbe, a club promoter who moved in the same social circles as Kimberly. She attended the party with Monica Maass, a Playboy model and one of her closest friends. The night was filled with music, dancing, and celebration. However, on July 21, at around 3:15 pm, Monica made a frantic 911 call stating that her friend was unresponsive. The dispatcher instructed her to put Kimberly on the floor and begin CPR. Unfortunately, when emergency responders arrived at the scene, they pronounced her dead. An autopsy later revealed that Kimberly had alcohol, cocaine, and GHB (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) present in her system. The medical examiner concluded that her death was accidental and caused by a drug overdose.
Kimberly Fattorini’s Family Were Always Suspicious About the Circumstances of Her Death
The news of Kimberly Fattorini’s death was deeply heartbreaking for her family, friends, and colleagues. At the time, it was widely accepted as a tragic accident, and no one initially questioned the circumstances, but that changed two years later. On July 21, 2019, Kimberly’s parents filed a wrongful death civil lawsuit. The suit named five individuals: Elias Wehbe, former NFL player Shawne Merriman, Monica Maass, car dealer J.P. Castro, and two nightclubs—Warwick and The Highlight Room. In the complaint, the family pointed to several inconsistencies in the timeline of events leading up to Kimberly’s death. Monica initially told police that after leaving The Highlight Room, the two women returned home around 5:00 am.
She had claimed that she later woke up at approximately 3:15 pm to find Kimberly unresponsive on the couch, prompting her 911 call. However, the lawsuit filed by DeAnn and Ferdinand Fattorini painted a different picture of the events that took place that night and the following morning. According to the complaint, after leaving the club, Kimberly and Monica met up with another woman named Stefanie, who was also a Playboy model. The three women were then allegedly invited to Wehbe’s house. The complaint further claimed that unbeknownst to the women, Wehbe had also invited Merriman and Castro to the residence. Merriman allegedly arrived at the house sometime between 8:30 and 9:00 am.
The suit included a series of text messages exchanged among various parties that night, alleging that both Merriman and Wehbe used derogatory language when referring to the women. One of the most alarming claims was that Merriman was allegedly seen carrying a bottle containing some type of liquid soon after his arrival. The complaint also highlighted a text that Kimberly allegedly sent to Wehbe, asking him to check up on her. The complaint alleged that she had written, “But your friend just poured half G in my drink.” The term “G” was reportedly interpreted as GHB, which is commonly associated with drug-facilitated assaults
The Civil Lawsuit Related to Kimberly Fattorini’s Death is Still Pending
According to the complaint, Shawne Merriman allegedly ordered an Uber that took him, J.P. Castro, and Monica Maass from the house later that day. However, the lawsuit alleges that before they left, all three had gone back inside the residence for a drink. It also claims that Merriman and Castro were still present in the home when Monica called 911 to report Kimberly as unresponsive. The Fattorini family’s complaint argued that Kimberly had been assaulted prior to her death and that proper forensic testing had not been carried out at the time to confirm or rule this out.
Several physical details were cited in support of this claim: Kimberly had bruises on her legs, was found without underwear, her jeans were unbuttoned and unzipped, her lips were blue, and her bra was twisted. The family believed these signs pointed toward possible foul play and that her death warranted a more thorough investigation than it initially received. In April 2020, screenshots of the text messages included in the wrongful death complaint were leaked on social media, sparking widespread public outrage and renewed attention to Kimberly Fattorini’s case.
All three individuals named in the complaint—Merriman, Monica, and Elias Wehbe—publicly denied any wrongdoing and maintained their innocence. Merriman issued an apology for the language used in the texts, but firmly insisted that he did not return home with the women that night. According to him, he said goodbye to them after helping them into an Uber. Additionally, according to reports, another message allegedly sent by Wehbe to a friend, in which he appeared to blame Merriman for Kimberly’s death, was included in the complaint. As of now, the civil lawsuit remains unresolved, and no criminal charges have been filed against anyone in connection with the case.
