Shaquille O’Neal‘s mother, Lucille O’Neal, recently revealed that she no longer offers dating advice to her four-time NBA champion son. As the host of the new show “Raising Fame,” Lucille believes that Shaq is too old to take her advice and that she doesn’t find it appropriate to offer such guidance as his mother.
In an exclusive interview with Atlanta Black Star, Lucille explained that just as she refrained from interfering in her son’s marriage — allowing him and his ex-wife Shaunie Henderson to navigate their relationship independently — she continues to respect boundaries and focus on her role as his mom.
“I don’t give him any advice anymore. I know my place. I’m his mother,” she said. “If he comes to me and he asks me what he should do then I give him an answer, but I stopped giving my input because he’s a grown man. He real grown.”
At 52, Shaquille O’Neal has been romantically connected to numerous women. From dating women like models, reality stars and actresses like Laticia Rolle, Karrine Stefans, Nicole “Hoopz” Alexander to engaging with social media personalities like Brittany Renner and the Home Depot” girl, the Hall of Famer knows his way around women.
Most recently Shaq made headlines after hanging out with the viral sensation Hawk Tuah girl and flirting online with Ice Spice, prompting many to think that he might be interested in getting to know some of these younger women on a romantic level.
Ohkay! Brittany Renner stay where the ballers at! She was spotted out on a dinner date with the big baller, shot callahhh himself Shaquille O’Neal! Roomies what y’all think about this link up 👀? (📸: backgrid) pic.twitter.com/FdBom7IseE
— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) June 7, 2023
The Newark native seems to have embraced his bachelor lifestyle and most likely has not sought out his mother’s input on his dating choices. She seems to be fine with that.
“I know when to be quiet. I’m his mother. I’m not his girlfriend and that’s clear, make it plain. So I don’t give him any advice,” Lucille continued to say. “I don’t tell him what to do. I haven’t done that for a long time. I’m not involved with those, you know, relationships and women. Who am I to say anything? Can’t say anything. I mind my business. I learned how to do that.”
Despite Lucille’s hands-off approach with Shaquille’s dating life, Shaq takes a more involved stance with his own adult children. On the March 20 episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” he spoke with Bert Kreischer about the dating rules he has established for his six kids.
The retired NBA star has three biological children with media mogul Shaunie Henderson and an eldest daughter from a previous relationship with businesswoman Arnetta Yardbourgh. He has been outspoken about letting his sons start dating at 18 while insisting his daughters wait until their mid-20s.
Recently, he added another condition: his daughters Taahirah, Amirah, and Me’arah, aged 27, 22, and 17, respectively, can only bring a boy home after earning a master’s degree.
“Don’t bring any boys to my house unless you have a master’s,” Shaq stated. “I don’t want to see them at all.”
Believing he understands young men’s intentions, he also warned that any boy brought home would “get f—ked up” no matter how polite they appeared to be.
Shaq and Bert have two different types of dating policies for their daughters 🤣 pic.twitter.com/hJ0JedIx1T
— The Big Podcast (@bigpodwithshaq) March 22, 2024
Looks like Shaq’s parenting style is drastically different than his mother’s.
“It’s hard to see them go into a relationship and somehow you may feel maybe that might not be the right relationship,” Lucille stated. “But, you have to step back, and we have to let it happen. And I tell a lot of the mothers that we are going to remain their mothers as long as they live. … We are not their girlfriends.”
Lucille takes a more hands off approach and said that while she may not have liked her son’s choice, she tried not to meddle.
“So, I’m safe in my place,” she added.
