British actress Kate Beckinsale apparently does not play about her friend Shaquille O’Neal.
The “Much Ado About Nothing” movie star shifted from her traditional prim and proper demeanor, typical of a former Oxford student, to a seemingly gangster one after reading the former Laker’s response to his ex-wife, Shaunie (O’Neal) Henderson saying she’s unsure if she ever truly love him.
Shaunie is releasing her debut memoir, “Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning On My Own Terms.” In an excerpt, she bluntly 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.”
The creator and producer of “Basketball Wives” added, “I was in love with the idea of building a life together. I truly did enjoy spending time with him. [NBA] road trips allowed me to be with my husband and experience the NBA life for a little while.”
In response to the blurb, Shaq said he completely understood where his former wife of seven years was coming from in a post on his Instagram. In all capital letters, it read, “I understand … I wouldn’t have been in love with me either. Wishing you all the best… [heart emoji] all love, Shaq.”
The 15-time All-Star player then wrote in the caption, “Trust me I get it.”
While he says he understood, not all his friends did. Beckinsale seemed to not be so easy about her remarks about Shaq.
“Hey now,” the “Underworld” star wrote in his comment section. “We all have a sociopathic ex . I got you -want me to pull up and snatch a wig or two ? I will …love you man.”
Others in Shaq’s comments were shocked or tickled by Beckinsale’s unexpected aggression.
“Gangsta Kate!” one commentator wrote. “Who knew you a g,” another said.
A third comment said, “Well OK. Kate is with the s—ts.”
One of the sports analyst’s 34.6 million followers, jokingly chimed in also with his own request, “now Kate, I have an ex you can pull up on right now! We ride at dawn or nah?”
Not everyone celebrated Kate’s slick comment, with some suggesting snatching wigs had a racial connotation. Others just wondered what information she had to come for Shaunie.
“Not sure it’s fair to call his ex-wife a sociopath when Shaq admitted he made a lot of mistakes when married,” one person wrote, which was backed up by another equally aggressive comment. “Are you calling Shaunie a sociopath, without knowing the personal details of their marriage and offering to snatch wigs?? Lady sit down before you sprain your double 0 back again.”
They’re dragging Shaunie but Shaq has said several times that he cheated on her & lied to her throughout most of the time they had been married…. The way people hate women… 😭😭 https://t.co/XBFHW1b5fZ
— Bella Goth 🇵🇸 (@WickedNFine) May 8, 2024
It’s publicly unknown why Beckinsale was so compelled to stand up for Shaq. There are no pictures of the two together, nor have there been rumors of an intimate or inappropriate relations with each other. There also have been no known beef between her and Shaq’s ex.
Many just think she was appalled by Shaunie’s statement.
“Assuming she wears a wig, seems kind of racist of you,” someone said in support of her comment, adding, “So sad for him.”
Shaq and Shaunie were married from 2002 to 2009. From this union, they bore four children: Shareef, 23; Amirah, 21; Shaqir, 20; and Me’arah, 18. The original “Dream Team” player has another daughter Taahirah, 27, from a previous relationship with businesswoman Arnetta Yardbourgh. He’s played an avid role as a father to Shaunie’s oldest son, his stepson, Myles, 26. Although he was born during Shaunie’s previous relationship, Shaq he gave his last name during the marriage.
