The athletic prowess of Shaquille O’Neal is well-documented. A 4x NBA champion, 3x NBA Finals MVP, 15x All-Star and many more. However, the towering 7-foot-1 center has also found himself at the center of various controversies throughout his illustrious career. From feuding with teammates like Kobe Bryant to off-court legal issues in 1997 with Charles Barkley for sharing a mugshot of the latter. Now as the 52-year-old was covering up from a recent feud with French basketball player Rudy Gobert, it seems he has got himself into another one.

But what is this new hot topic that is waving all over the internet? Surprisingly, it’s Big Diesel’s dating life. Although, no one should have been shocked by this news since Shaq is known for dating multiple women. But the case seems different this time. Earlier, Shaq himself had revealed about his off-court attachments, but this time it came from a source that most of his fans didn’t know about. So who is this mystery woman?

The new lady in Shaquille O’Neal’s life

The new woman is Maria Ozuna Teachey, a social media influencer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (as her Instagram suggests). A few days back, the same influencer had shared a picture on her social handle, which was a mirror selfie and had gone tremendously viral. In the photo, she could be seen posing in front of the mirror with the hands of a muscular man on her shoulders. The physical appearance of the man arguably matched that of the seven-footer, but no one could tell, as the influencer had deliberately cropped the man’s face. “Unapologetically us …. Can yall guess who feet?” read the caption of the now deleted post.

However, don’t think Teachey is a normal influencer. The video creator posts regularly on her Instagram, which includes daily vlogs, sometimes products and travel reviews. Through these videos, she has garnered 216k followers on her Instagram and after this recent controversy, the numbers are on the run. She also has a YouTube channel and a TikTok account, but those are not as active as her Instagram. Before the video was deleted, Shaq tried to remove all eyes from him regarding this matter by commenting, “not the kid” on the post.

However, Teachey wasn’t going to give up that easily. After Shaq had deliberately denied knowing the woman, Teachey again took to her Instagram Story to post a video of Shaq living in a room with her and even sleeping on her couch. This cemented the rumors even further. But to again remove all the eyes from suspecting him, the Los Angeles Lakers made an official video on this matter and posted it on Instagram. “Is this my girlfriend too, trust me I’ll let yall know who my woman is, and by the way my woman name is Shaqirah,” wrote Shaq as the caption of the post. The video was a compilation of many pictures in which Shaq could be seen striking the same pose as he did with Teachey but with different women.

Only time will tell how this latest chapter in Shaquille O’Neal’s personal life will unfold. One thing is certain, however: the basketball icon’s life has always been a source of fascination for fans and media alike. And so were his affairs.

Looking into Shaquille O’Neal’s ‘personal diary’

The Lakers veteran has not only dominated the basketball court but has also navigated a complex love life. His relationships have often been in the public eye, drawing attention and speculation. One of Diesel’s most well-known relationships was with former actress and model Shaunie Henderson.

Shaq got married to Shaunie in 2002 and had four children but their relationship faced challenges in the next few years and they ultimately divorced in 2011. However, despite their separation, Shaq and Shaunie have maintained a good relationship for the sake of their children. Interestingly, after the divorce, he dated six women, namely, Annie Ilonzeh, Laticia Rolle, Nicole Alexander, Laura Govan, Dominica Westling, and Karrine Steffans. (as per ‘Ranker’)

In recent years, there has been no news of Shaq dating before this incident. It seems that the NBA veteran is fully focused on growing his business empire and other investments. Only time will tell if this incident will develop further.

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