Shaquille O’Neal has made it clear he is not especially interested in the celebrity party circuit, after sharing his blunt opinion on famous faces.
The retired basketball icon has spent decades in the spotlight, rising to superstardom in the 1990s and remaining highly visible long after ending his NBA career in 2011. Since stepping away from the court, he has stayed busy as a pundit, entrepreneur, broadcaster and DJ, experiences that have only added to his views on celebrity culture.
“Excuse my French, celebrities are a**holes,” the 54-year-old told Page Six.
He went on to explain that he feels many stars are ‘weird, rude and obnoxious.’
There was certainly nothing subtle about the way he put it.
That said, O’Neal has also recently applied the same harsh label to himself.
He was married to Shaunie Henderson from 2002 to 2011, and during a recent appearance on the It’s Giving… podcast, he admitted he had fallen short in that relationship and described himself as an a** hole during their marriage.
While discussing Henderson’s memoir, UNDEFEATED: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms, in which she said she ‘was never in love’ with him, O’Neal openly accepted responsibility for how things unfolded.
“I was an a**hole. I was an idiot. She was 1000% correct. I failed her as a husband, as a protector and as a provider. She’s not my wife anymore but she gave me five beautiful children. I’ll always protect her.”
Together, the former couple share four children: Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir and Me’arah. O’Neal also adopted Myles, Henderson’s son from a previous relationship.
This was not the first time he had responded to Henderson’s remarks. In fact, shortly after her memoir came out, he addressed it on his Instagram Story.
O’Neal, who previously acknowledged being unfaithful in his 2011 memoir, Shaq Uncut: My Story, reacted to her comments with a short but candid message.
“I understand…I wouldn’t have been in love with me either. Wishing you all the best. All love, Shaq.”
Outside basketball, he is now turning his attention toward another interest: true crime.
His latest series, Game Day Murders, is set to premiere on Monday, July 27, 2026 on Investigation Discovery and stream on HBO Max. The series, which O’Neal executive produced, focuses on crimes connected to the sports world and adds to his growing list of TV and media projects.
“Our goal was to honor the legacy of those who lost their lives,” he told Page Six.