Shaquille O’Neal seems to be handling Shaunie Henderson’s revelations about their ex-marriage with grace. In her new book, his ex-wife speaks about being unsure whether she was in love with Shaq or the idea of their marriage and family. His first public response to her comments comes just one day after the novel’s release.
Shaunie reportedly wrote about being more “in love with the idea of being married to the man [she] had a family with” over Shaq himself. She explained that she enjoyed spending time with him. However, her feelings were mainly rooted in “building a life together.”
As these excerpts of Shaunie’s book caught headlines, Shaquille reacted via Instagram on Wednesday (May 8).
“I understand…I wouldn’t have been in love with me either. Wishing you all the best [red heard emoticon] All love, Shaq,” he wrote. In the caption, he added, “Trust me, I get it.”
Shaq and Shaunie first met in 1996 and married in 2002 in a super private ceremony. They first split in 2007, then separated again in 2009, filing for divorce in 2010 and settling the following year, per PEOPLE.
Throughout their time together, they welcomed four children — Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me’arah Sanaa. Shaq also had two children before Shaunie named Myles and Taahirah.
In his 2011 memoir ‘Shaq Uncut: My Story’ he admitted to being unfaithful during their marriage. He added that he had also slipped with the “small staff” and didn’t know how to be “the best partner.”
“At one time my ex-wife Shaunie and I were happy, but I admit it — I was a guy. I was a guy with too many options. Choosing to be with some of those women, well, that’s on me. In my mind, I never did it disrespectfully, but obviously, I shouldn’t have done it all.”
Shaunie’s memoir seems to agree with this viewpoint. In her new novel, Shaunie sympathized with the pressure he must have endured to balance being an A-list celebrity with millions and being a family man.
“[Shaq] was trying to be a world-famous, thirty-something multimillionaire with thousands of women throwing themselves at him, and people in general begging just to be in his presence, while being a husband and a father simultaneously,” she reportedly wrote. “How could anyone possibly know how to do that?”
In 2021, Shaunie revealed on Tamron Hall that she and Shaq have a “great co-parenting relationship” now after a rough ride to get there. That same year, she got engaged to Pastor Keion Henderson in November. They wed in May 2022.
Before and after her wedding, Shaq opened up about their divorce being his fault and being a “d**khead” to her, per PEOPLE. He has yet to remarry.
Meanwhile, Shaunie’s hubby recently went viral for telling his congregant to quit her yelling during service. When asked about the moment in an interview, he stood on his church business, chile!
