Shaquille O'Neal reveals why he agreed with his ex-wife when she said she never loved him
Britt Jones
Featured Image Credit: Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Shaquille O'Neal opened up about why he agrees that his ex-wife never loved him, and why he says he wouldn’t have loved himself either.
The former NBA star was once married back in the 90s, however, after five children together, things would change.
He and Shaunie Henderson split in 2009, and continued to co-parent with one another, without airing their public grievances.
However, some of what the pair went through together was alluded to when Henderson released her tell-all memoir, UNDEFEATED: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms in 2024.
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In it, she shared details of her marriage, O’Neal’s infidelity, that he himself admitted to in his own 2011 memoir, Shaq Uncut: My Story.
While it was known that the pair were amicable, what people might have been shocked to find that Henderson realized she was never in love with her then-husband.
"I always had a fear of sharing too much and of telling my story that involved anybody else. I didn't want to disrespect someone else's story, even if it was a part of mine, but as I get older and do more things in the entertainment industry, I found that people have a misconception of who I am," Henderson wrote in her book. "Anything involving Shaquille is always a sketchy thing because he is who he is, and despite what our story is, no one ever wants to hear what could come across as not the greatest reputation," she added.
Then, just a day after her memoir was released, O'Neal shared to his Instagram Story, a message, seemingly in response to her written feelings.
"I understand...I wouldn't have been in love with me either. Wishing you all the best. All love, Shaq," O'Neal wrote.
It might be strange to read, but for O’Neal, he said he completely understands where she was coming from.
In an interview on the It’s Giving...podcast earlier this year, he revealed that he ‘failed’ as a husband to Henderson during their time together.
When asked about why he agrees with her, he said: “She didn't think she ever really loved me and my response was I wouldn't have loved me either. As a man I was failing. A man has three jobs with a woman. Protect, provide and love. At that point in my life, I failed her in all three areas.”
He added: “I was an a******. I was an idiot. She was 1000% correct. I failed her as a husband, as a protector and as a provider. She's not my wife anymore but she gave me five beautiful children. I'll always protect her.”