“Basketball Wives” producer Shaunie Henderson has been very open about her marriage to NBA All-Star Shaquille O’Neal and how devastated she was to learn the many times that he cheated on her.
Shaq himself has admitted to being a serial cheater and has apologized publicly for how he behaved within their marriage. So, it was no surprise to hear her admit that she entered her relationship with Pastor Keion Henderson carrying a lot of baggage rooted in her past experience with the former Los Angeles Lakers star.
Reflecting on her marriage to Shaq, she acknowledged that fidelity was a top priority when looking for a new man and told Henderson that that he had to live up to a few “deal breakers” if he was going to be her man.
While talking about boundaries during the early stages of their relationship on their “The GrOOw Zone” podcast last week, the preacher said she broke out a list on him.
“I think I came in with boundaries that are no longer there,” Shaunie said after admitting that boundaries change in a relationship.
“OK, tell the people the list you gave me,” the reverend threw back at his wife of two and a half years.
While she said it wasn’t a list, she did note that there were things she could not tolerate. Shaunie stated, “One that … no cheating … That one. … I came in with deal breakers, like, if you do this I’m out. I don’t have that.”
Shaq has been transparent about how his infidelity and failure to honor his vows that contributed to the collapse of his marriage to Shaunie. In a revealing conversation on “The Pivot Podcast” on 2022, the NBA legend admitted to leading a “double life” and took full responsibility for their split, saying, “I was bad. She was awesome. It was all me.”
Alongside the baller’s admissions, Shaunie recently revealed in her memoir “Undefeated: Changing the Rules,” that she questioned whether she ever truly loved Shaq during their marriage.
While reflecting on the deep issues that plagued their relationship, she noted that she seemed to be in love with the lifestyle of being married and a mother.
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Shaquill O’Neal shares that he was at fault for his divorce from Shaunie O’Neal. Shaq said “I wasn’t protecting her and wasn’t protecting the vows”#shaquilloneal #shaunieoneal pic.twitter.com/DJD1K4FUhn
Regardless of how Shaunie felt in retrospect, at the time his infidelity hurt her deeply. She was also hurt by allegations of an affair between Shaq and fellow “Basketball Wives” star Laura Govan, who was engaged to fellow NBA star Gilbert Arenas at the time and was a family friend. Though both denied the allegations, leaked text messages purportedly between Govan and Shaq added to the tension, contributing to their separation and eventual divorce in 2009.
Despite the challenges, Shaq and Shaunie have remained committed to co-parenting their four children amicably.
While this understandably set the tone for Shaunie’s budding relationship with Keion, it interjected certain insecurities that didn’t need to be present while they were dating.
As their relationship deepened, Shaunie said she began to question whether imposing such restrictions was fair.
“Is that fair to come into a relationship and put a person on a restriction for a crime that they did not commit?” Keion asked her. Shaunie acknowledged it wasn’t but explained that it was part of her healing journey.
While her boundaries at the time reflected valid needs, they also served as walls, potentially limiting the organic growth of their connection. Shaunie noted that she wasn’t alone in this —many people enter new relationships with a defensive mindset, projecting past pain onto someone new. For her, letting go of those boundaries was a process, one that required trust and time.
Now, with a stronger foundation in her relationship, Shaunie no longer clings to those deal breakers. Instead, she emphasizes open communication and mutual respect. Together, they now use their experiences to help others navigate similar challenges in relationships.
Shaunie and Keion have been married since 2022 and this marks both their second marriage. Keion has a teenage daughter with his ex-wife, Felicia Henderson.
