Is Shaquille O'Neal Worried About Ex-Wife Shaunie Henderson's New Memoir?
By Melanie VanDerveer on January 18, 2024 at 8:30 AM EST
"Uh oh."
Some people might worry if their ex was writing a memoir, but Shaquille O'Neal isn't using his energy to worry. The NBA legend is openly supporting his ex-wife Shaunie Henderson as she gears up to release her tell-all memoir in May.
O'Neal took to Instagram to share the news of his ex-wife's book and to congratulate her, and fans took note about how O'Neal is reacting to the soon-to-be released memoir.
Shaquille O'Neal Supports Ex-Wife Shaunie Henderson As She Gets Ready To Release Her Memoir
Not long after Henderson posted information on Instagram about her soon-to-be released book, "UNDEFEATED: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms," her ex-husband also took to Instagram to bring some attention to the memoir.
"uh oh naaa im just playing congrats @iamshaunie. pre sale link info in @iamshaunie bio," O'Neal captioned his post.
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Many of his fans and followers left comments of support and love for how he's handling what others might not have handled so well.
"That's love ❤️ That's how you support the mother of your children," one person wrote. Another added, "The best thing that you can ever do for your kids is to love and support their mother!! I love this for all of y’all ❤️."
Another follower kept with that theme by saying, "This is why I rock with Shaq 👏🏾."
"[Shaquille] has not read it. I haven't shared it with anybody but my husband and my publicist at this point," she told PEOPLE. "Anybody that's in it, I think they deserve to know what's in it before everybody else does."
Henderson also said she's not "throwing him under the bus" in the chapters that reflect on their marriage.
"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 continued.
But O'Neal's public confessions about what destroyed their marriage made it a bit easier for Henderson to share her truth saying, "I was like, oh, okay, he told on himself."
Regardless of what he's already admitted, Henderson said she was a "little nervous" about sharing her story.
"I'm literally telling my story and my journey, which he was a part of," she said. "So I've always been a little nervous about that, but I think I did a good job at sharing my story without destroying him because that's not my intent at all, ever."
Shaunie Henderson's Memoir Will Be Released In May
Just before O'Neal shared information about Henderson's book on social media, she did as well.
"Allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is Shaunie. Some of you know me for being the mama to my beautiful children, the executive producer of a hit reality tv series, the wife and last lady to my handsome husband, all while being the confidant to my vast array of friends….but check the credits again…I’m Shaunie the AUTHOR! 📖✨" she wrote in the caption of a video sharing information about what's in her book.
Her caption went on to explain that she began writing her book more than five years ago and "what a difference time can make."
"Journey with me as I grow through fear, insecurity, self-doubt and arrive at the destination of courage, confidence and assurance," the caption continued. "This process has been scary yet settling as I continue to discover myself daily. I'm in my own lane, a lane I'm proud of, and all roads lead to #UNDEFEATED!"
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Henderson hopes her story will inspire other women to become "financially, emotionally and mentally independent."
"There was a point in my life when I was completely dependent on my ex-husband and I didn't even realize it," she told PEOPLE. "I didn't realize it at all until we got a divorce. I didn't even realize I was so co-dependent until it slapped me in the face. And that's on me. I take full responsibility for that. It's not Shaquille's fault, that's not anybody else's fault, that's mind."
She credits that realization for how she got to where she is today, calling it a "light bulb moment" or "reality moment."
"I just try to just share who I am in this book and make it make sense," she said. "I mean, maybe people will get it, maybe they won't. But I'm not doing it for people. I think I'm doing it just to kind of free myself."