Sports influencers’ secret scandals, from being charged in alleged murder-for-hire plot to £750k tournament cheat claims

INFLUENCERS are kicking up a fuss wherever they go.

Most recently, some caused a stir at the US Open – attracting criticism for distracting players, , during matches.

What happened at Flushing Meadows has even got and aiming to limit the amount of influencers attending the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

But, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to these seven social media personalities, who have been embroiled in scandal.

From one pickleball fanatic who ordered a hit on her ex-boyfriend to accused of cheating at a $1million invitational event, SunSport rounds up the secret scandals of sport influencers.

Gabby Gonzalez

Gabby often shares sporty content on her social feeds, from surfing to pickleball, as well as documenting her life as a young mother and sharing snippets of her daughter.

Combined with a love of the great outdoors, the brunette beauty seemingly lives a serene life.

However, back in May, the 24-year-old was arrested and charged for her alleged involvement in a sinister dark web murder-for-hire plot targeting her ex-boyfriend, Jack Avery.

Before her arrest, she had amassed almost 1 million followers combined from her and Instagram accounts.

Last month, Gabby pleaded not guilty to charges of plotting to kill the Why Don’t We singer with a paid assassin. If convicted of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and solicitation of murder, she could face 25 years to life in prison.

Paige Spiranac

, 33, was faced with a major cheating scandal following her appearance in The Internet Invitational.

During the final match of the $1million (£750,000) tournament at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri, the 32-year-old appeared to in a perceived attempt to improve the lie for team-mate Malosi Togisala.

Fellow content creator Peter Finch was quick to spot the effort but did not discuss it with Paige until her team lost the round.

The social media star then responded: “I thought you could do that…

“I didn’t realise that you couldn’t do that. I didn’t think I improved… I didn’t move the ball.”

After being told that she couldn’t tamper with the grass, she became tearful and insisted: “I wasn’t trying to cheat. I would never do that.

“I just don’t want people to think that I would try to cheat.”

Abeeeer

, real name Sun Yuanyuan, was also forced to apologise after she jumped on the back of a bike during the Berlin Marathon.

The 30-year-old celebrated achieving a personal best at the German major and posed with her medal at the finish line.

But she was caught out after being snapped hitching a ride on the back of a bicycle mid-race.

The influencer, with over 530,000 followers across social media, saw her time of 4:53:46 struck off the results list.

And she also lost her sponsorship deal with sportwear brand Brooks China.

Sun claimed she got on the bike because she “felt unwell”, but admitted it was “an extremely dishonest act”.

Liver King

, 48, built a massive multi-million dollar empire by promoting a natural ancestral lifestyle, which included eating raw animal organs and lifting heavy weights.

He even claimed his impressive physique was 100 per cent natural and achieved through a strict workout.

However, leaked emails in 2022 suggested different. It turned out he was spending around £8,300 a month on steroids and growth hormones.

, real name Brian Johnson, was then forced to issue a grovelling public apology, as his own supplement brand took a massive hit financially, and faced a class-action lawsuit.

Johnson was also once arrested for making threats on Instagram in 2025.

Stefi Cohen

In 2022, , 34, was arrested after allegedly guessing her ex-boyfriend’s laptop password, uncovering intimate photos of his new partner, and distributing those nude photos to group chats.

Initially, she was charged with felony unauthorised computer access, misdemeanor sexual cyber-harassment, criminal mischief, and resisting arrest without violence.

Stefi denied the claims and dismissed them as “only allegations from a vengeful ex-boyfriend.”

Ultimately, all charges related to the cyber-harassment case were officially dismissed.

In 2025, she was arrested for battery after getting in an altercation with her boyfriend, Tristan Hamm.

However, prosecutors declined to proceed when Tristan said no battery occurred, expressed he was not in fear, and refused to cooperate with prosecution, per the Miami Herald.

Brittany Dawn Nelson

Fitness influencer Brittany, 35, was a pioneer on Instagram and when she began sharing her custom workouts and nutrition plans for her followers.

She charged over £200 for individually tailored fitness regimes, and her fans lapped them up.

But when people realised they were being sent completely identical, generic internet templates, they went mad online.

Further still, clients struggling with eating disorders revealed that her automated check-ins completely ignored their specific health needs.

She was sued by the State of Texas for deceptive business practices and forced to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds in damages.

Brittany later posted a YouTube video and declared she “made a mistake” and had “taken full responsibility for it”. Since leaving the fitness world, she has become a born-again Christian.

Olivia Jade Giannulli

Olivia, whose mum is Lori Loughlin, was the face of the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal in 2019.

Now 27, her parents paid (£378,000) in bribes to show Olivia as a competitive, elite rowing recruit for the University of Southern California.

This included faking photos of her on a rowing machine. Both mum and dad Mossimo Giannulli were indicted by the FBI, pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to prison time.

Olivia was forced to leave the university, took a hiatus from social media, and lost several brand deals.

She publicly apologised for the incident during an interview on Jada Pinkett Smith’s Facebook Watch show Red Table Talk.