'She Hulk' bodybuilder slain in Spain after telling husband she wants divorce

Zunilda Hoyos Mendez, 43, who amassed over 100,000 followers on platforms like OnlyFans and Fansly, was discovered dead on Thursday in her rented apartment in Fuengirola, Spain. Her partner, identified as 46-year-old Jarrod Gelling, an American-Colombian dual national, was found dead in the bathroom with what authorities described as apparent self-inflicted stab wounds, The Sun reported.

Police were alerted after one of Zunilda's gym friends reported her missing, saying she had not been seen since June 14. Officers forced entry into the apartment around 1:45 p.m. and found both bodies. Investigators say Zunilda had suffered severe blunt force trauma, consistent with a hammer attack, while preliminary evidence suggests Gelling may have taken his own life after the killing.

According to family members, Zunilda, also known as Amy, had recently told Gelling she wanted a divorce, following repeated incidents of alleged abuse.

"She had decided to separate from her husband because of his aggressive behavior," her niece Yuleydis told local newspaper Sur. "They had tried to reconcile before, but the mistreatment continued."

Zunilda had traveled from Dubai to Spain to help care for Gelling after a knee operation and was preparing to compete in a bodybuilding event in Portugal before returning home to Colombia. Friends say the couple’s relationship had been strained for months.

If confirmed as a domestic homicide, the case would mark the third gender-based murder in Malaga province this year and the fifth in Spain’s Andalucia region.

Zunilda’s death has sent shockwaves through the global bodybuilding community.

She had recently finished second at the NPC Worldwide Latin American Championships in 2021 and was training for another major competition at the time of her death.

"We had 17 days until we were going to hit the stage and shock the world," her coach, Branden Rey, wrote in a tribute on Instagram. "I told you that you could possibly be top 10 in the world by the end of this year, and I meant it. Rest in paradise, Amy."

Close friend and fellow bodybuilder Behnaz Azar posted: "My heart is broken, my mind is clouded, and my soul is drowning in shock and sorrow. Amy, my kind, strong, fierce friend. The most powerful woman I knew in the world of bodybuilding, yet with the gentlest heart."