Shaunie Henderson, in her 2024 memoir, recounts the “horrible” experience of being accused – alongside her mother – by social media trolls of stealing millions of dollars from her ex-husband, NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal, after their divorce. She calls that period one of the darkest chapters of her life.
Advertisement
As news of her 2011 divorce from Shaq spread, Henderson found herself at the center of a social media storm. As she recounts in her book: Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own, there were baseless rumors that he was leaving her because she and her mother were siphoning his money.
People online were saying Shaq “was divorcing me because I had been stealing money from him with my mother as my accomplice!” recounts Henderson, who’s an entrepreneur, producer, and creator of the hit TV show Basketball Wives.
Henderson knew how to defend herself online. But she was furious that her mother, who was unfamiliar with social media, couldn’t respond to these hurtful accusations.
“I can defend myself without a problem, but to attack my mom, who has no idea how Facebook or Twitter even work, was inexcusable,” Henderson writes, noting how the wild rumors were fueled by comparisons to Mike Tyson’s accusations against ex-wife Robin Givens and her mother in 1989.
When that marriage “went south, Tyson accused Robin and her mother of stealing money from him. Now the vultures on social media were doing the same thing to me.” she recounts.
Fans Accused Henderson of ‘Immense Greed’ For O’Neal’s Fame And Money
As Henderson, 49, reveals, a fabricated narrative took root on Facebook, Twitter (Now X), and Instagram suggesting her “immense greed for his fame and money” was the reason for the split.
“Supposedly my mother and I were secretly funneling money from Shaquille and, of course, the mob ran with it,” recounts Henderson who has since married Houston internet personality and pastor Keion Henderson. “The story was everywhere. There was nothing I could do to stop it,” she adds.
“Unfortunately, as hard as I tried to keep the end of our marriage from turning into a public nightmare, the internet had other ideas,” she says.
The mother-of-five married O’Neal in 2002 and they share four children. Their relationship ended in 2009 when Henderson filed for separation, writing in her book that her marriage was strained by the “thousands of women throwing themselves” at O’Neal, who’s now 51.
O’Neal, who has confessed he regrets the failure of his marriage to Henderson, admitted to cheating on her in his own 2011 memoir titled Shaq Uncut: My Story.
Henderson’s memoir paints a clear picture of the toll the bizarre rumors took on her family, as she found herself ultimately helpless to stop the stories.
There were other false social media claims including stories that she had an affair with a personal trainer – a claim the mother of five children dismisses, noting she “didn’t even work out back then.”
What’s more alarming is that despite the years that have passed, these rumors can still be found on the internet. “Unbelievably, it’s still around today,” Henderson added.
The memoir sheds light on the challenges of being married to a high-profile figure, especially when a breakup occurs. Her experience underscores how celebrity partners are often unfairly targeted, as public sentiment frequently blames them for relationship issues.
The unchecked rumors reflect the impact “troll culture” and “fake news” have on those close to celebrities. What’s more alarming is that Henderson notes with frustration that she still sees stories about these false accusations against her on the Internet.
