Shaquille O’Neal spoiled his ex-wife, Shaunie Henderson, by providing her with all the luxuries money can buy. However, following their device, she had to learn to slowly lessen her dependence on the 4x champion for financial necessities. The key to financial independence for Shaunie lay in turning her back on the finer items in life.
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She opened up about her divorce from Shaq in her memoir ‘Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms’.
“I’d turned my back on mansions, luxury cars, private jets, and a lifetime of wealth and privilege. As my marriage unraveled, I knew I had to find a way to establish financial independence. I never wanted to be dependent on a man for money, an identity, or anything else ever again,” Shaunie said.
Shaq and Shaunie were married from 2002-2010 before filing for a divorce. The move was incredibly hard for both of them, but Henderson highlights the difficulties she faced separating from an A-List celebrity.
“For years, my role in life had been clear: I was a wife and mother. I was a daughter and sister. Occasionally, I was a fantastic hostess. I cooked meals and took my kids to school and helped with homework and wiped away tears. Now, I was back home with nothing,” Shaunie said.
Shaq was traveling around the country and dominating on the basketball court. Meanwhile, Shaunie was holding down the house and taking care of her children.
Once the divorce was finalized, Shaunie was in custody of her children. Stemming from her lack of financial independence from the marriage, she detailed the difficulties she faced as a mother during this time. Shaunie said,
“In fact, apart from money for child support, I didn’t walk away from my divorce with anything other than my car. So, while the sudden transition from wealth and comfort to sleeping three to a bed with no permanent address was disorienting, it was the first step to regaining my independence and my life.”
However, Shaunie was able to use those experiences following her divorce to amass a net worth of $35 million.
How Shaq and Shaunie’s marriage fell apart
The two parties were happily in love but shared the same accounts for their marriage falling apart. Initially, it was Shaq who filed for divorce in 2007, but Shaunie pleaded for the two to reconcile which they later did.
However, in 2009, Shaunie filed for separation from Shaq. This would later result in the two agreeing on a divorce in 2010. The NBA legend eventually opened up about the divorce, highlighting his faults for the failed marriage.
“At one time my ex-wife Shaunie and I were happy, but I admit it — I was a guy. I was a guy with too many options. Choosing to be with some of those women, well, that’s on me. In my mind, I never did it disrespectfully, but obviously I shouldn’t have done it all,” Shaq said.
Although the two didn’t end happily ever after, they have both been able to move on and make the most of their lives and have done a tremendous job co-parenting their 6 children.
