Shaquille O’Neal showered his ex-wife, Shaunie Henderson, with every luxury imaginable during their marriage. However, following their divorce, Shaunie had to learn to gradually lessen her financial dependence on the 4x NBA champion. The journey to financial independence required Shaunie to turn her back on opulence. In her memoir ‘Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms,’ she opened up about the divorce and her subsequent path.

“I turned away from mansions, luxury cars, private jets, and a life of wealth and privilege. When my marriage began to fall apart, I realized I needed to find a way to establish financial independence. I never wanted to rely on a man for money, identity, or anything else again,” Shaunie recounted.

Shaq and Shaunie married in 2002 and finalized their divorce in 2010. The separation was difficult for both, but Shaunie highlighted the specific struggles of detaching from an A-list celebrity. “For years, my role was defined: I was a wife, mother, daughter, and sister. Occasionally, I was a remarkable hostess. I cooked meals, took my kids to school, helped with homework, and comforted them. Once back home, I felt like I had nothing,” Shaunie said.

While Shaq was frequently traveling for basketball, Shaunie managed the household and took care of their children. Post-divorce, Shaunie gained custody of the children, and faced significant financial challenges. “Apart from child support, I exited the marriage with nothing other than my car. The abrupt shift from wealth and comfort to sleeping three to a bed with no permanent address was disorienting, but it was the first step to reclaiming my independence and life,” Shaunie recalled.

Despite these initial hardships, Shaunie leveraged her experiences to ultimately amass a net worth of $35 million. The unraveling of Shaq and Shaunie’s marriage was marked by struggles. Initially, Shaq filed for divorce in 2007, but they reconciled after Shaunie’s plea. However, in 2009, Shaunie filed for separation, which culminated in their 2010 divorce. Shaq later opened up about his role in the marriage’s demise.

“At one point, my ex-wife and I were happy, but I admit — I had too many options. Choosing to be with other women was my fault. In my mind, I never did it disrespectfully, but it was wrong,” Shaq admitted.

Though their relationship did not have a fairy-tale ending, both have moved on, thriving individually and co-parenting their six children successfully.