Shaunie Henderson’s press tour brought her to Houston’s news station, Fox 26 recently to speak about her memoir, Undefeated. The first lady of Houston Lighthouse Church got candid about a lot of things, from her parents’ marriage to her past marriage with Shaquille O’Neal. Yet very few realize how rare it is for this reality star to lay it all out too. Very little about her current marriage to Pastor Keion Henderson gets the spotlight in her book. But with her husband on their local channel, Shaunie opened up about her marriage, hoping others in her position can draw from it.

She expressed how Keion helped her express more. “Honestly, I think after meeting my husband and acclimating to this first lady role, I started to share more. I started to talk more,” Shaunie said on Fox 26 Houston. She means moving from California/Florida where she has filmed Basketball Wives, to Houston to settle with Keion. She also took on the role of first lady of Houston Lighthouse Church with her husband, a role she’s exceedingly owning and growing as an inspiring presence.

For most of her life, Shaunie remained guarded about her thoughts and feelings. She expresses in her memoir that having that personal bubble to keep some things to herself is just as important. It was initially the mindset when she started writing the book in 2018. But the editors gave her a reality check that she was not being truthful enough. But in 2019, she met Keion Henderson and things changed.

Interestingly, Shaunie found the balance between laying her life out on reality TV and maintaining her privacy. While she still subscribes to the policy of, “I don’t need the world all up in my business,” she’s creative and strategic. Through Basketball Wives and this book, Shaunie curated what aspects of her life she’d show. So her romantic life was not a big part of Basketball Wives as much as her relationship with Shaq.

Shaq’s ex has been in a relationship with Henderson at least since 2019, when she was struggling to write her book. His encouragement enabled her to complete it.

Shaunie Henderson needed a little push

Shaunie’s guard was heightened since her divorce. She was focused on being independent and establishing her career while being the more hands-on parent to her and Shaq’s five kids. But when she met Keion, she said she had to unlearn a few habits. Like allowing him to care for her and being more open about herself.

When she was holding back in her book, Keion revealed he told her, “Do you know how many people would be helped by seeing that who they think you are isn’t who you really are, right?” Like Shaunie transitioning out of the NBA life after her 2011 divorce, Keion also came out of a divorce. He believed others in a similar position could find Shaunie’s book therapeutic and hope there’s light at the end of the divorce tunnel.

The result was the book released in 2024 to rave reviews. And Shaunie’s been more expressive with her congregation and her husband’s faith-based YouTube channel.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.