Shaunie Henderson has been vocal about her struggles in her very first book, Undefeated. She described her parents’ 52-year marriage, as well as many other experiences that shaped her. Among the various anecdotes and experiences she detailed, her married life with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and the divorce came to be the topic of many discussions. The mother of five elaborated on how the decision impacted her, and the kids, and went on to impact her every decision after that.

Looking back at those days, Shaunie recalled feeling like a failure as a parent after getting divorced from O’Neal. She worried that she might have taken away the picture-perfect family, one with both parents, from her kids. In her own words from the book, she expressed feeling “terribly guilty” for breaking up the family. She had more to add to that today. 

Speaking to her husband Pastor Keion Henderson, Shaunie detailed, “I have felt like I have failed in the parenting side of just my kids when I got a divorce. I felt like I failed them. I felt like I ripped that part of life from them and they had no choice it was just Mom took away this the white picket fence and the mom-dad story that we could tell for the rest of our lives I felt like a failure as a parent when I divorced their dad,” she concluded.

But the Basketball Wives producer admitted that things have changed now. She had realized that this wasn’t her fault. Indeed, she hasn’t failed. She has come up with flying colors in raising her kids, who are talented and good-natured while also balancing her career. And Shaq would attest to that.

However, there is one solace regarding the divorce that she mentioned in her book.

Shaunie Henderson recounted making the same mistake as her mother 

In her book, Shaunie discussed how, after the divorce, she wanted to do everything for her kids. Rather than allowing them to help themselves and learn things independently, she often reached out to assist them. As she mentioned earlier, Shaunie’s guilt made her help her kids more often than she wanted to.

“I confess that when I became a single parent, I may have disabled my own children’s resilience a bit by overcompensating,” Shaunie wrote in her book.

She also confessed that her mother, who had the same habit of helping her kids more than necessary, influenced her. The Basketball Wives star explained that her mother chose to stay with her father despite his infidelity. However, Shaunie decided to break the cycle and opted for a divorce and took different decisions to stop the “pattern.”

While she still ends up helping her children anyway, Shaunie wishes to teach them basic skills. Both she and the Los Angeles Lakers legend can proudly say that their kids have not disappointed them.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.