A social media post by one Jets player may have been a little too saucy and is now causing legal issues for himself and one well-known sports media company.
All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner is being sued by Kalli Mariakis, a 42-year-old mom from Mississippi, for allegedly defaming her during a social media spat where he falsely claimed she had an OnlyFans account.
The suit, which was filed in New Jersey Superior Court on Dec. 31, also names Barstool Sports as a defendant, according to court documents viewed by The Post.
VaynerSports, which represents Gardner, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
The lawsuit first came to life after an Ohio law firm blogged about it on Tuesday.
The lawsuit stems from an August 2024 exchange on X between Gardner and Mariakis, who is described in the suit as an “ardent” fan of the Bills.
Gardner had posted a photo of boxes, a ladder and construction equipment and captioned the post, “Do I even have to say what I’m getting built at my new house?”
That drew a response from Mariakis where she — “jokingly,” per the suit — wrote back to him: “A simulator to teach you how not to commit pass interference or defensive holding?”
That’s when Gardner replied with the post in question, as he insinuated that Mariakis had an account on OnlyFans, which is a subscription platform primarily associated with sexually explicit content.
“I’m sure your husband wouldn’t like it if I told him you [direct messaged] me your OF link would he?” Gardner replied.
The lawsuit claimed that the social media response by Gardner was viewed by at least 9.5 million people and stated that Mariakis called on the Jets star to provide evidence of his claims in two separate social media replies.
Gardner “or someone acting on his behalf” deleted the post from his X account on Aug. 22, the lawsuit stated.
The suit denies Mariakas had any such OnlyFans account, accusing Gardner of making a “knowingly false and malicious statement,” while also claiming that it was amplified by a Barstool Sports post titled: “If you’re a Married OnlyFans Model Who’s Been DMing Sauce Gardner, You’d Be Wise Not to Troll Him about His Coverage Skill.”
Mariakis and her family “experienced numerous embarrassing moments and harassment from acquaintances, friends, family, co-workers and the public at large” regarding the Gardner post and Barstool article, the suit claimed.
It added that people had “cast aspersions on plaintiff and raised questions about her internet activity, especially referencing plaintiff’s alleged — and non-existent — OnlyFans account and, in that connection, questioned her character and reputation as a respectable young-women, wife and mother.”
The lawsuit is asking for compensatory damages, punitive damages, court costs and fees from both Gardner and Barstool Sports.
A request for comment from the lawyer representing Mariakis was not immediately returned.
Gardner’s social media habits have gotten him into trouble before.
He had to apologize in November over posts in which he fired back at a reporter and a fan following the team’s loss to the Cardinals on Nov. 10.
At the time Gardner said that he had deleted X from his phone.
Gardner had 49 tackles, nine passes defended, one interception and one sack in his third NFL season.
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