Shaunie revealed in her new memoir titled “Undefeated” that she was more in love with the idea of him than marriage itself.
Shaunie Henderson’s recent memoir revealed a lot of candid reflections, including her realization that she may have never been truly in love with her ex-husband, Shaquille O’Neal.
During a recent appearance on The Tamron Hall Show, an excerpt from her book was shared.
“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. I was in love with the idea of building a life together,” she wrote.
In what seems to be a humbled response to Shaunie’s revelation, Shaq took to Instagram, saying, “I understand… I wouldn’t have been in love with me either. Wishing you all the best. All love, Shaq.” He captioned the post, “Trust me, I get it.”
The well-known couple started dating in the late ’90s and tied the knot in 2002. However, their relationship hit a rough patch, and she filed for separation in 2009 due to his infidelity.
The reality star opened up about her experiences with O’Neal, expressing how she genuinely enjoyed their time together. However, their relationship faced challenges as O’Neal juggled his ambitions of becoming a world-famous multimillionaire alongside his roles as a husband and father, all while dealing with constant attention from other women. These pressures ultimately strained their relationship and led to their separation.
Over time, Shaq has voiced regret about the downfall of their marriage. In a 2022 interview on The Pivot Podcast, he reflected on what he had, saying,
“I had the perfect situation. My wife was finer than a mug, kept giving me babies, still finer than a mug.”
He acknowledged his infidelity as a result of his own greediness.
During her conversation with Tamron Hall, Shaunie revealed that she and Shaq are currently in a good place and she holds no regrets about their past.
“I would not change any part of my story. Not one part of my story, no matter how depressed, how sad, how much at the bottom I felt. I would not change one part of it because I feel like my reward is now,” expressed the Basketball Wives creator.
She has since remarried to Pastor Keion Henderson. What are your thoughts on Shaunie’s revelation? Drop them below and be sure to stay in the loop with JustJaynesha for all new entertainment news!
