On a new podcast – not his own – Shaq talks about his relationship with his ex-wife Shaunie O’Neal, and how family life is working out for the couple as they handle “co-parenting” work.
Shaq and Shaunie married in December 2002. They separated five years later when Shaq filed for divorce. There was an attempt to reconcile and get back together, but it didn’t work out. Shaunie ended it in November 2009.
Even though we see Shaq on TV as an NBA analyst all the time, Shaunie O’Neal has had her own interesting media career. She created the show “Basketball Wives,” which has just been renewed for a 10th season on VH-1.
As for Shaq, he talked about the relationship on the latest episode of “The Pivot Podcast” (link below). Always the gentleman, he definitely held himself accountable for the mistakes he made during their marriage.
“I never talked about this, but I’m glad you guys asked me because I don’t mind talking about this,” he told hosts Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor, and Ryan Clark. “But I was bad. She was awesome. She really was. It was all me.”
“I never talked about this, but I’m glad you guys asked me because I don’t mind talking about this,” he told hosts Channing Crowder, Fred Taylor, and Ryan Clark. “But I was bad. She was awesome. She really was. It was all me.”
Shaq didn’t go into a lot of details, and didn’t really need to: “Look… we don’t need to talk about what I was doing but I wasn’t protecting her and protecting those vows. Sometimes when you live that double life, you get caught up. So I’m not gonna say it was her, it was all me.”
Shaq had nothing but praise for his ex: “She did exactly what she was supposed to do, gave me beautiful kids, take care of the house, take care of corporate stuff. It was just all me,” said Shaq. “Sometimes when you make a lot of mistakes like that you can’t really come back.”
Shaq and Shaunie share four biological children: Shareef, 22, Amirah, 20, Shaqir, 19, and Me’Arah, 15. Shaq also has a daughter, Taahirah, from an earlier relationship. In addition, he adopted Shaunie’s son, 20 year-old Myles as his own.
During his podcast appearance, O’Neal said he’s getting better at handling personal matters on a personal level, and not on social media. Probably good advice for all of us!
Shaq said he’s now all about taking care of business out of the social media spotlight: “It’s not about having issues. It’s just, I run my life on the PPL principles. You protect, you provide, and you love. Even if we’re fighting, I’m not going to embarrass her amongst the world. Even if we’re in an argument, no. Hell no.”