Shaquille O’Neal explains why his kids stopped talking to him

Shaquille O’Neal recently discussed her once strained relationship with her children.

During an episode of the rapper ITThe “quickly” podcast, the old one Los Angeles Lakers The star has been candid about how his divorce from his ex-wife, Shaunie Hendersonaffected his bond with his children.

Prior to this, Shaquille O’Neal criticized online blogs for allegedly spreading “clickbait” rumors about his alleged relationship with a married woman.

Shaquille O’Neal Shares What He ‘Learned’ After Marriage and Discusses His Relationship With Kids

During his conversation with TI, Shaq reflected on the lessons he’s learned since his previous marriage.

“I learned that I know not to sit here and talk bullshit,” the NBA champion said. “Sometimes we get caught up. But we know better.”

Shaq was married to Henderson from 2002 to 2009 before officially splitting in 2011. Elsewhere in the episode, he acknowledged that his divorce had an impact on his children, although he noted that they are thriving today.

“In all of this, I’m just happy and blessed that they forgave me. Because my babies and I didn’t talk for a while,” he said. “I get it, but now we’re starting to get closer. I’m teaching my boys to be better than me. Dad was a Rolling Stone. You don’t have to be like me.”

Shareef O’Neal opens up about his past relationship with his father

Shaq’s comments about his children follow those of his son, Shareef O’Neal, who spoke about his father during an appearance on the “Heir Time” podcast.

“The first few years, it was pretty hard,” Shareef said of his parents’ divorce. “We were all too young to understand what was going on. Mom and Dad aren’t going to be together. It wasn’t like ‘choosing sides’.”

Shareef added that his parents didn’t seem to make things easy for them as children when they were going through their marital woes.

“My mother [was] like, “If you want to go with your dad, go.” “My father said to me, ‘If you want to go with your mother, go ahead,'” he continued.

Things, however, eventually worked out, with Shareef praising both his parents for the way they work together for the sake of their children.

“They never come and that’s a problem. My mother is remarried now. She can bring her husband and dad with her. [can] coat it and chat. So, I respect both of them for never putting stress on us,” Shareef said.

NBA star’s ex-wife wrote about their marriage in memoir

Henderson previously detailed her marriage to Shaq during her tenure on the VH1 reality series “Basketball Wives.” She shared even more in the pages of her memoir, “Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms,” ​​according to PEOPLE.

One section of the book that caught the attention of many readers was Henderson’s line: “Looking back, I don’t know if I was ever truly in love with that man.” Shaq responded a day later with a message that read, “I understand… I wouldn’t have been in love with me either. I wish you all the best. All my love, Shaq. Believe me, I understand.”

Henderson later said the viral line was taken out of context and she couldn’t change what people thought about what she wrote. “…this is my book, my truth, and this is my legacy.”

Shaquille O’Neal Slams ‘Clickbait’ Rumors About Him

According to The Blast, Shaq recently responded to allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with his friend’s wife. During the interview, Shaq dismissed these claims as “clickbait” and asserted that he would never cross boundaries with those around him.

“Look, everyone wants their page to be famous, I understand that. You have to understand that you don’t go to people’s wives. That’s something you don’t do,” he said, adding: “I’m 53, so I’m done with all that.”

Shaq’s $180,000 problem…

Prior to these events, Shaq experienced even more drama when his custom Range Rover SUV worth $180,000 was stolen.

The Blast reported that Shaq’s luxury vehicle was supposed to be transported to Louisiana, but it never arrived, prompting questions from law enforcement.

Authorities initially said hackers might be responsible for the heist, noting they could have hacked into the custom designer’s system and used the information to send the NBA star’s car elsewhere.

CBS News shared in December 2025 that a man was arrested in connection with the missing vehicle in New York.

The stolen Range Rover has not been found, authorities say. In fact, they think it might be somewhere in the Middle East.