Shaquille O'Neal, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and former center for the Los Angeles Lakers, rejected the authenticity of purported direct messages to singer Sabrina Carpenter during an episode of his podcast "The Big Podcast."[1][2]
Guest rapper Jim Jones read a fake headline stating "Shaq exposed for shooting his shot at Sabrina Carpenter," followed by screenshots of alleged exchanges containing crude language, including O'Neal supposedly writing he would "keep your farts in a cologne bottle."[1][2]
O'Neal read portions of the messages aloud before clarifying he sent none of them, stating: "First of all ladies, the Diesel got way more game than that."[1][2]
O'Neal, who won four NBA championships including three with the Lakers from 2000 to 2002, has discussed his past relationships publicly.[3] In the same podcast episode, he referenced ex-partners Arnetta and Shaunie, saying in a prior 2023 interview he had "two perfect women and I messed it up."[1]
He offered relationship advice, telling his sons a man's duties toward a woman are to "protect, provide and love," adding: "even though I don’t have a relationship with the women that I let get away, I will always PPL."[1][2]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "Shaq shuts down fake DMs to Sabrina Carpenter: 'Diesel got way more game than that'", March 3, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/shaq-shuts-down-fake-dms-sabrina-carpenter-diesel-got-way-more-game-that
- Outkick, "Shaq Handles Fake Sabrina Carpenter DMs Perfectly On His Podcast", March 4, 2024, https://www.outkick.com/culture/shaq-sabrina-carpenter-fake-dms-podcast-perfectly
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, "Shaquille O’Neal", accessed March 2024, https://www.hoophall.com/hall-of-famers/shaquille-oneal/
