- Shaquille O’Neal responded to ex-wife Shaunie Henderson’s memoir claim that she never truly loved him.
- Shaq acknowledged his mistakes and posted an understanding message on Instagram.
- Henderson says she loved the idea of marriage, not necessarily O’Neal himself.
- The pair remain co-parents to four children after their 2009 separation.
H2: Shaq’s public reply
Shaquille O’Neal publicly addressed a passage from Shaunie Henderson’s 2024 memoir in which she wrote that she didn’t realize she was truly in love with him. On his Instagram story a day after the book’s release, Shaq wrote: “I understand…I wouldn’t have been in love with me either. Wishing you all the best. All love, Shaq.”
Embedded post (Instagram reel): https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6t0miFuSyA/
H3: What Shaunie said in her memoir
In UNDEFEATED: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms, Henderson described her decades-long public marriage to O’Neal and explained why she felt she never fully loved him. She said she was in love with the idea of being married and building a life and family, rather than certain she loved O’Neal as a person.
Henderson also said she had long been hesitant to tell parts of her story that involved others, but felt compelled to set the record straight and correct public misconceptions about who she is.
H3: How the marriage ended and what followed
Shaq and Shaunie began their relationship in the late 1990s and separated in 2009. O’Neal later admitted infidelity in his 2011 memoir, Shaq Uncut: My Story. The former couple share four children: Shareef, Shaqir, Amirah and Me’arah.
Following the split, both have spoken publicly about the marriage at times, with Shaq acknowledging mistakes and maintaining a respectful co-parenting relationship. Henderson has said that O’Neal’s own admissions made it easier for her to share her version of events.
H4: Shaq’s personal life since the divorce
After the marriage ended, O’Neal was linked to several relationships and engagements, none of which led to another marriage. In recent years he has kept his personal life largely private and has denied or joked about various dating rumors.
H4: Why this matters
The exchange underscores how both parties are revisiting a relationship that played out in the public eye. Henderson’s memoir adds context to years of headlines, while Shaq’s short Instagram response framed his reaction as understanding and conciliatory.
H5: The family front
Despite the revelations and public attention, both Shaq and Shaunie continue to co-parent their four children. Their statements so far emphasize clarity over airing grievances, with Shaunie aimed at telling her story and Shaq opting for a brief, sympathetic reply.
Sources: Shaunie Henderson’s memoir UNDEFEATED and Shaquille O’Neal’s Instagram story (link above).
Image Referance: https://www.basketballnetwork.net/off-the-court/shaquille-oneal-on-his-ex-wifes-claim-that-she-never-loved-him
