After the finalization of their divorce, former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife, Shaunie, was granted primary custody of their children, while Shaquille was awarded visitation rights.
In September 2007, Shaquille O’Neal filed for divorce in the Miami-Dade Circuit Court, citing marital issues that included financial disputes.
However, the couple later reconciled, and the divorce petition was withdrawn. The situation changed when Shaunie O’Neal filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.
After several ups and downs in their marriage, the couple finalized their divorce in 2011. Shaunie O’Neal was granted primary custody of their four children: Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir, and Me’arah.
In addition to custody, Shaquille O’Neal agreed to provide substantial financial support, reportedly paying $100,000 per month in child support.
Despite Not Having Custody, Former NBA Star Shaquille O’Neal Provides Full Parenting Support to His Six Children, Especially the Four from his Wife, Shaunie!
While Shaquille was awarded visitation rights, he has continued to support his ex-wife and regularly visits his children, maintaining an active role in their lives even after the separation.
Apart from providing financial support, Shaquille also seems to be actively involved in every aspect of his family’s life. Despite being divorced, he has remained committed to being a parent.
During his appearance on The Pivot Podcast, the NBA star shared his thoughts on parenting, saying:
All the stuff I’m doing now, that’s the stuff I wanted to do. I wanted to invest, I wanted to buy companies, I wanted to be on boards, I wanted to do certain things because I may not be a husband, but I’ll always be a father and the father’s job is to protect, provide and love,.I don’t like to use the term baby mamas, I have two wonderful women that have given me beautiful, gorgeous children, I have to protect and I have to provide and I have to love for them forever. That’s why I work so hard. I don’t work for me, I got it all. I got to work for them and I got to work for my six babies.
In addition to his four children with Shaunie, Shaquille has two more children: a daughter, Taahirah, with his former girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh, and a son, Myles, from Shaunie’s previous relationship.
Therefore, Shaquille is the father of six children in total and continues to be actively involved in parenting them, despite being divorced.
In Case You Don’t Know
- Shaquille O’Neal has several nicknames, including “Shaq,” “The Diesel,” “Superman,” and “Shaq Fu.”
- Shaq once appeared on WWE SmackDown in 2009, where he participated in a scripted segment with Big Show.
- He is a licensed reserve officer in multiple states, including Los Angeles, Miami, and Georgia.
