Shaunie Henderson has insinuated or so it seems in her most recent memoir, “Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning On My Own Terms, that she was never really sure if she loved her ex-husband Shaquille O’Neal unconditionally.
Shaunie and O’Neal had four children together and were married from 2002 until 2011, but according to her book, she preferred the lifestyle the marriage offered over the man she married.
“Looking back, I don’t know that I was ever really in love with the man, but I was in love with the idea of being married to the man I had a family with,” she expressed to Essence.
“I was in love with the idea of building a life together. I truly did enjoy spending time with him. [NBA] road trips allowed me to be with my husband and experience NBA life for a little while.”
Shaq Uncut: My Story, O’Neal’s 2011 memoir, includes an admission of cheating on Henderson.
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In December 2022, the former basketball player expressed regret to E! News over his marriage to his ex-wife ending in divorce.
The athlete commented, “You never know how good you got something until it’s gone. I referenced living in a 76,000-square-foot home by myself. I was entirely to blame for that. I didn’t do the right thing and I definitely paid for it,” he added.
Shaunie claimed, however, that they talked about his infidelity after their divorce.
“We had a really satisfying and honest chat a few years after our divorce. Speaking about his infidelity, he remarked, “It’s crazy that cheating was an ego boost.” The girl wasn’t even the main focus. It had nothing to do with me developing romantic feelings for her”.
“The goal was to get away with it. He said that it was all about acquiring one girl, then another, and still another. It has to do with conquering. Although he was aware that it did not excuse his actions, she noted, “I liked his honesty about it.”
Shaquille O’Neal, however, appeared to respond to his ex-wife Shaunie Henderson’s memoir on Instagram the day after her book was released.
“I understand… I wouldn’t have been in love with me either. Wishing you all the best. All love, Shaq,” he wrote.
His elder son, Shaqir O’Neal, commented on his father’s Instagram post with the words, “You know I love you, twin,” expressing his support for his father.
The basketball legend received praise from fans for his sympathetic reaction to his ex-wife’s disclosure and for taking “ownership” of his previous behavior.
Someone commented, “It’s mature.”
Another noted, “Gotta love accountability.”
“I love the response, grown man. A sign of being at peace,” wrote another.
The couple welcomed four children together: daughters Amirah and Me’arah, and sons Shareef and Shaqir.
Shaunie is also the mother of Myles, an older son from a prior relationship, and O’Neal is the parent of Taahirah, an older daughter from a former relationship with Arnetta Yardbourgh.
Shaunie, however, remarried in 2022 to Keion Henderson, a pastor living in Texas, and spoke candidly about their relationship as well in the book.
