Shaquille O’Neal can find humor in anything. He even managed to bring forth the lighter side of things when accused of digging dirt on Shannon Sharpe.
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The NFL legend has been caught up in a $50 million civil lawsuit where he’s being accused of se*ual assault and battery. Amid the ongoing controversy, a leaked voice note has surfaced online. It allegedly features Matt Barnes accusing Shaq of trying to collect negative information on Sharpe.
In the leaked clip, Barnes can be heard revealing that Shaq is offering good money to anyone who can give him some dirt on the NFL legend. Barnes stated that he and Shaq were a part of a group chat where this conversation happened.
“Shaq said he’s paying top dollars for any information on our boy [Sharpe],” said Barnes, who thinks Shaq is trying to settle scores with Sharpe as the two have been in conflict before.
“And he said, ‘Please, please, please, keep it quiet.’ He said that Shannon did some sh*t bad to him a while back and he’s been off on him. So, that’s why he’s doing this,” he added.
Barnes repeatedly urged the person on the other side of the call to keep Shaq’s name away from this controversy. In response to the accusation, most people would release a statement. However, the big fella isn’t like most people.
Last month a leaked audio clip surfaced of former NBA player Matt Barnes claiming that Shaquille O’Neal was willing to pay large sums of money to uncover negative information on his rival, Shannon Sharpe. In the clip, Barnes can be heard saying, “Shaq is doing it because Shannon… pic.twitter.com/van1tR5hJc
— Rain Drops Media (@Raindropsmedia1) April 24, 2025
The NBA legend made a skit to mock the whole situation, especially Barnes’ claims. Shaq uploaded the skit on his Instagram with the caption, “Dam I got caught again I need that info I’m paying top dollars.”
He also took shots at people who started believing those claims with hashtags like “#yallsodumb” and “#yallbelieveanything.”
In the skit, he can be heard saying, “Aye, I’m Shaq. I’m paying top dollars for information. You know where Charles Barkley is at?” Shaq also asks about Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson. Shaq’s hilarious spin on the whole situation is like killing two birds with one stone.
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Shaq has already discredited whatever Barnes has said about him. So now, he doesn’t need to address any of the allegations.
Again, the timing of the leaked audio clip surfacing is interesting. The clip is allegedly a month old. And the civil lawsuit against Sharpe was filed by the woman just a few days ago.
People are now coming up with theories, trying to link the lawsuit to Shaq’s initial quest of digging dirt on Sharpe. However, there’s no concrete evidence that can connect the two events.
As for Sharpe, his problems are far from over. The woman has accused him of assault, referring to two instances in October 2024 and January 2025. The woman has also claimed that the NFL legend became violent over the course of their relationship.
Sharpe allegedly threatened to kill her once and also recorded their intimate moments without her consent.
