'Class act': Fans weigh in as Shaquille O'Neal responds to ex-wife Shaunie Henderson's claim of being 'unsure she ever loved him'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Shaquille O'Neal has posted a cryptic message after his ex-wife Shaunie Henderson wrote she is unsure if she ever loved him.

The NBA star took to Instagram on Wednesday, May 8, to address her candid revelations about her love dilemma as he wrote, “I understand… I wouldn't have been in love with me either."

"Wishing you all the best. All love. Shaq," he added.

Shaunie Henderson says she was only in love with the 'idea of being married' to Shaquille O'Neal

In her new book 'Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning On My Own Terms', Henderson reflected on her marriage to Shaquille.

She confessed that she questions her love for the basketball legend as she wrote, "Looking back, I don't know that I was ever really in love with the man, but I was in love with the idea of being married to the man I had a family with."

"I was in love with the idea of building a life together. I truly did enjoy spending time with him," she wrote.

"[NBA] road trips allowed me to be with my husband and experience the NBA life for a little while," read the excerpt from her book, according to Essence.

Source says Shaquille O'Neal takes responsibility for the end of his marriage to Shaunie Henderson

Speaking about how Shaquille has accepted his imperfections as a husband, a source close to the sports analyst said, "Shaq knew Shaunie was writing the book and he supported that, but he has not read it."

"Shaq believes Shaunie is allowed to tell her story and understands he wasn’t the perfect husband, but he loved her and their family," the insider added.

Reflecting on Shaquille's personal growth in the aftermath of their marriage, the source said, "He takes responsibility for the demise of their marriage and has had a lot of time to work on himself and grow."

"He believes Shaunie is a great mother to their children and always wants her to be happy. He will not have anything bad to say about her and wishes her well," the insider added, according to ET.

Shaquille O'Neal's son calls him the 'most lovable' person

Following Shaquille and Henderson's marriage in 2002, the couple welcomed four children, Shareef, Shaqir, Amirah, and Me'arah.

Under Shaquille's cryptic message posted in response to Henderson's declaration, his eldest son Shareef commented, "Literally the most lovable and likable person on the planet."

"Love you, man! You saved my life," the 24-year-old wrote reportedly referencing to his heart surgery in 2023 heart surgery.

Internet reacts to Shaquille O'Neal's cryptic post after ex-wife Shaunie Henderson's confession

Reacting to the former basketball player's response to ex-wife Henderson's candid revelation about being unsure if she ever loved him, one user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, "Gotta respect his response and accountability."

One user tweeted, "Shaq stays solid!" and another user wrote, "Love Shaq we all make mistakes and wish we could go back. His response is legendary." 

"Shaq really misses his family," a fan commented and a netizen wrote, "Class act Shaq, low-key acknowledging his shortfalls, etc."

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