Were you there? This past weekend (as of this writing), Shaq’s big “Event” was held in Las Vegas to raise money for his Foundation to support children and kid-supporting projects and programs.
Part of the Event included an interesting back-story involving Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. It’s only been a hot minute since Levine had to publicly answer questions about an alleged affair with an Instagram model.
The 43-year-old, who performed with his band at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, was also accompanied by his pregnant wife Behati Prinsloo, who spoke of her support for Levine from backstage.
O’Neal has been friends with Levine for some time. He’s spoken out in support of the singer on his recent podcast episodes and he did so again on stage at the MGM Grand over the weekend.
Shaq talked about his bond with Levine, saying “I cannot be a hypocrite.” In an interview with E! News in Las Vegas, Shaq talked about the friendship and how he saw a connection between the two. Shaq made reference to his own failed marriage, and how that affects his opinion: “I wasn’t the greatest husband in the world, so just because I have a large platform right now doesn’t give me the right to bash other people. He’s great.”
In reference to Adam’s performance at the gala, which raises money for underserved youth, Shaq noted, “He’s doing something for the children, he’s always been like that. I’m happy for him. And I wish him luck.”
Levine has been accused of cheating on his wife, who is pregnant with their third child. O’Neal he understands the emotions from both sides, but is choosing to stand by his friend. On his recent Big Podcast with Shaq, he said: “I was a serial cheater. It would be crazy and blasphemous for me to get up here and say, ‘Boom, boom, bam.’ I can’t do that.”
As he pointed out, considering his past, he doesn’t see a reason to publicly judge anyone else. “I refuse to get up here and be like, ‘You shouldn’t do this, you shouldn’t have done that,’” Shaq continued. “I’m not that guy. I’m real with the situation.”
In a statement posted to his own IG account, Levine wrote: “My wife and my family is all I care about in this world. To be this naïve and stupid enough to risk the only thing that truly matters to me was the greatest mistake I could ever make. I will never make it again. I take full responsibility. We will get through it. And we will get through it together.”