Nothing is more entertaining than some good celebrity drama. Everyone is always on the lookout for some action from their favorite celebrity people and families because, well, why not? Drama is what keeps the fire burning. Shaunie O’Neal’s divorce from her NBA legend ex-husband and father to her four kids, Shaquille O’Neal, is one of the most tumultuous dramas seen in celebrity divorces history.
It was one of those ‘popcorn and chill’ types of dramas in the celebrity world, and although they are now on good terms, the divorce process was as messy as it can get. Here are some of the things that we know about their divorce.
Their Marriage Life
Shaunie and Shaq met in 1996, just after he left the Orlando Magic and joined the Los Angeles Lakers. They dated for a couple of years before tying the note in 2002 in a private ceremony held in a Beverly Hills Hotel.
In 2007, after the couple had been married for slightly over five years, it is reported that Shaquille filed for divorce from his wife. The reason? He claimed that Shaunie O’Neal had not fully disclosed her finances. Many fans speculated if a lie detector test would have revealed more about the couple’s financial disclosures and trust issues. According to this giant of a man, the marriage was not based on complete honesty and trust.
Many of their fans believed that this story did not add up, and there was something more that the couple was not willing to disclose. Shaquille did not have any reason to be so concerned about his wife’s finances because back then, he was earning no less than $20 million annually.
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How Long They Were Together
Fortunately, the couple soon ironed their differences and put back their marriage into shape. The divorce talk died down quickly. However, this moment of peace did not last long as two years later, in 2009, Shaunie O’Neal filed for divorce, terming irreconcilable differences.
The divorce was quickly finalized, and the couple went their separate ways in 2010 after about seven years of marriage.
What Led to the Divorce
According to sources, it all went down due to Shaquille’s infidelity. It seemed like Shaunie had everything in place to call it quits during the divorce process, although it was never publicly revealed who Shaquille was cheating with.
In one of her interviews with Essence magazine, Shaunie blames Miami for her failed marriage. “Miami is a great city. It just wasn’t a great city for our marriage. I know they say L.A. has its groupies, but Miami has a different mentality.” she says.
The Custody of Their Six Children
Before marriage, the couple had one child each and then had four biological children together (Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me’Arah). After they divorced, Shaunie won the custody of the children, and Shaquille was obligated to pay child support.
This agreement was arrived upon after Shaquille made Shaunie sign an agreement not to make the divorce process public, especially on her show, Basketball wives. Shaquille pays $10,000 per month for each of his four biological children.
Shaquille O’Neal Had a Prenuptial Agreement
NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal had a prenuptial agreement. Therefore, although Shaunie insisted on filling their divorce in California, where the law favors splitting matrimonial property on a 50/50 basis, this did not help. Most Shaquille assets remained untouched when the divorce was finalized.
According to ESPN, the California courts dismissed issues related to property division on the claim that it is in Florida’s jurisdiction. If the California courts heard this case, Shaquille would lose half of his properties to his ex-wife. But fortunately, now, all he has to pay in addition to child support is spousal support of approximately $10,000 per month.
Co-parenting
Shaunie and Shaq did very well with the blended family, but co-parenting after the divorce wasn’t easy. According to Shaunie, things were rough at first for the children after the divorce. But they are picking up the pieces and getting better at it each day.
As their dad, all of Shaunie O’Neal’s kids are athletic, and according to sources, they all play basketball.
How Did Shaunie O’Neal Handle the Divorce
In one discussion she had with a Basketball wives co-star Evelyn Lozada, Shaunie says that the first few moments after she discovered that Shaq was cheating on her were just a blur.
She says, “I went in that garage, not only did I flatten tires, bust a few windows, I wrote on the hood of his car, ‘I cheat on my wife.’. she adds that Shaq had to drive that car on all four flat tires and the message all-around as she drove next to him hooting to draw attention to them. This goes to say that she did not handle the whole divorce very well at first.
How is Shaq’s Love Life?
It is believed that Shaq has seen quite a few women after his divorce was finalized. The most recent being the Chicago Fire actress, Annie Ilonzeh. However, neither of them has ever confirmed the rumors.
According to sources, Shaq and Annie were recently spotted enjoying themselves at a beach. The giant of a man was also spotted in Spain with his girlfriend on one of his vacations. Annie is also a popular TV star and celebrity and has done quite a few popular TV shows.
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How is Shaunie’s Love Life
Unlike her ex-husband, Shaunie is not keeping anything under wraps. She has someone special in her life and she is proudly flaunting him for the world to see. This person is not unknown to the world though. Just this week, Shaunie took to Instagram to wish Pastor Keion Henderson a happy birthday in a sweet heartfelt message.
In the post, she calls him ‘best friend and partner’ and thanks to him for his impact on her life, and then attached a photo of them together. This goes to show that her love life is going great.
Conclusion
Shaunie O’Neal and Shaq’s divorce is not news anymore. However, many fans of the family still like to keep up with the news of what happened during and after their divorce. This article helps you keep up with what we already know about this favorite celebrity couple.
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