Shaunie Henderson Recalls Being Called “B*t*h” After Outing at Ex-Hubby Shaquille O’Neal’s Lakers Game Went South

With a book titled, Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms, you’d expect Shaunie Henderson to disclose some intense moments of vulnerability. One such incident occurred when she was known as NBA star, Shaquille O’Neal’s girlfriend, with two very young children, and in public. At the peak of Shaq’s stardom as a newly-crowned NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaunie became a target. She was starting to learn that O’Neal wasn’t faithful before they had married. She recalls in her book how one humiliating incident was the start of a pattern that ended with her divorce from O’Neal.

There were at least two incidents of Shaunie encountering one of Shaq’s flings in the early stages of their relationship. The second incident occurred when she was attending a Lakers game. She had with her Myles, who was three at the time, and nine-month-old Shareef (born 2000). As Shaq’s partner, she got to enjoy a game in a suite at the Staples Center. It’s when she stepped out of the suite when things went wrong.

She was holding Myles’ hand and standing in line to buy something to eat for the kids when three women approached her. From the way she writes, it appears that the women were strangers to Shaunie but the other person knew her. The ringleader got in Shaunie’s face and screamed profanities at her. Apart from calling Shaunie a “b*tch,” she made her grudge known.

“You think having a baby is going to get you in there? You’re trying to trap him! That’s my man!” It’s not explicitly stated but it’s implied this woman was one of Shaq’s affairs and not just a deranged fan. Shaunie was in no position to fight back with two small children as her priority. The woman instead had reinforcement in the form of her friends.

Before it escalated, some of Shaq’s friends saw the commotion and intervened. Though the women retreated, Shaunie wrote she fell into a “lengthy pattern of denial.” Telling herself, “She’s crazy, she just wants what I have, there’s nothing going on,” she never told Shaq about this incident and turned a blind eye to his infidelity for a decade.

Things changed when Shaunie ended up in Miami with Shaquille O’Neal

Shaunie’s memoir is more than just about her former marriage to Shaq or Basketball Wives. As the star and executive producer of the Vh1 show, she fired Brandi Maxiell in season 4 for calling her a b*tch. The Shaunie who dealt with this stranger, though, was different.

Saying it was easier to pretend that didn’t happen, Shaunie married Shaq in 2002 in a secret ceremony. They had three more children but it wasn’t as pleasant. Another excerpt of the book that stole the attention referred to when Shaq moved to Miami with his family. Shaunie heard chatter about his affair but ignored them to focus on her kids and the NBA life. When it became intolerable, they separated and finalized their divorce in 2011. Describing the end of her marriage, she revealed that wasn’t in love with Shaq, setting off a chain of events.

Though Shaunie didn’t tell Shaq about the extent to which his affairs affected her, Shaq took accountability for it. This memoir is the only time Shaunie has shared those vulnerable moments.

Stay tuned for more such updates. To follow what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.