For years, Shaquille O’Neal has remained fairly private about his romantic life. But just last month’s Maria Ozuna-Shaq drama, Shaq teased fans in one of his posts, saying, “I will let y’all know when I’m in love.” Well, it seems that moment has arrived. In a surprising twist, Shaq recently revealed something major about his love life.

During a recent appearance on Roberto Mtz’s YouTube channel, the conversation took an unexpected turn. The chat was going smoothly, with Shaq reflecting on his journey to TV. “It was fun because, you know, I’m not a real analyst, but I’m a guy that people know who play basketball,” Shaq said. Then, completely out of the blue, he said, “And I have a Mexican girlfriend.” This threw the host for a loop and Shaq again started, “She is my ‘Mi Linda’ (means my love). I just love this lady. Come say hi. This is her right here. Ain’t she so beautiful? I love her. I love her.” The only thing we can say, it’s just classic Shaq.

Interestingly, there have been whispers for a while that Shaq might be dating someone from Mexico. Back in 2019, rumors flew when he was spotted with actress Annie Ilonzeh, holding hands. And then, in 2022, they were seen together again in New York. Meanwhile, another rumor links Shaq to a Mexican DJ named Jessica Audiffred. With a 30-year age gap between them, this relationship also raised eyebrows, especially as Audiffred’s fame grew with hits like Skull Shattering and Rise.

Shaq’s Instagram story last year only added fuel to the fire. The cryptic video, captioned “Dating an older man in 2023 pt.22,” poked fun at the generational gap between an old guy and his young lady, leaving fans guessing.

But despite all the speculation, this latest confession from Shaq about his “Mi Linda” might just be the wildest twist yet! Maybe wild than the Maria Ozuna-Shaq drama.

What is Maria Ozuna-Shaq drama?

Last month, a photo surfaced online that sent social media into a frenzy as a TikTok influencer Maria Ozuna Teachey shared an image of herself embracing a man with a build eerily similar to Shaquille O’Neal. The steamy photo had many fans convinced that Shaq was the mystery man in question.

Naturally, the speculation only grew louder. Teachey’s followers were quick to assume that the former NBA star was in the photo, and rumors about his relationship status spread like wildfire. But Shaq didn’t waste any time addressing it. He took to Instagram to clear things up, commenting, “Nope not the kid,” on a post shared by Worldstar, shutting down the claims in just a few words.

But when the surrounding buzz increased more, in true Shaq fashion poked fun at the situation by posting his own series of pictures in similar poses with various women, adding, “Is this my girlfriend too? Trust me I’ll let yall know who my woman is.” He even went a step further, jokingly revealing, “By the way, my woman name is Shaqirah.” Classic Shaq humor, isn’t it?

Then, to top it all off, Shaquille O’Neal shared a hilarious video dancing with media personality, Alexa Leighton. With a playful caption that read, “My real girlfriend knows I’m a big black exotic dancer #itwasntme,” Shaq once again proved that he knows how to handle rumors—with humor and charm.