Shaquille O’Neal took to social media to dispel swirling romance rumors after a seemingly innocent photo with Monique Martin, a friend, sparked speculation. “Not every picture tells a story,” he remarked, emphasizing the importance of context.
The snapshot, which features O’Neal, 53, embracing Martin from behind, was shared on Instagram with a caption that read, “My favorite guy is back in town and of course he stopped by to see his favorite people!!” Martin expressed her admiration for the NBA legend, adding hashtags like #shaqattack.
However, the post caught the attention of sports media account 4thQuarterTV, which reposted the image with a provocative caption suggesting inappropriate behavior. “#Shaq recently pulled up on a man’s wife, and she had this to say,” they wrote, igniting further speculation.
O’Neal responded directly in the comments, expressing his displeasure with the insinuation. “Yes my boys wife I can tell y’all site is broke and need money nice try this is the reason y’all always gonna be a broke blog,” he stated. “Thanks for making me more money though #dummies.”
Martin is married to Ryan Rackleff, and they have three sons together. While the nature of O’Neal’s friendship with the couple remains unclear, Martin has previously praised him in her posts. “He stops by often to check in on us,” she noted, affectionately calling him “the biggest baby ever.”
O’Neal’s personal life has been under scrutiny before; he was married to Shaunie O’Neal from 2002 until their divorce in 2011. They share four children: sons Shareef and Shaqir, and daughters Amirah and Me’arah. Additionally, he became a stepfather to Myles from Shaunie’s previous relationship and has a daughter, Taahirah, with ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh.
Earlier this year, O’Neal faced similar rumors regarding his relationship with 21-year-old OnlyFans model Sophie Rain after attending her birthday party. Tiktoker Noah Glenn Carter claimed many were unhappy about O’Neal’s presence at the event. In response, O’Neal humorously commented on Carter’s video, “I don’t [draw] that young but I will date your mom and give you a brother.”
In other since-deleted comments, he added, “Stop tryna create rumors don’t make me slap you dude,” and jokingly suggested Carter’s mother should contact him.
During an appearance on WNBA star Angel Reese’s podcast last year, O’Neal expressed concerns about modern relationships. He stated he might end up alone due to the complexities of contemporary dating. “Because y’all be making rules up as you go along,” he explained. “There is no handbook on how to be the perfect man or perfect husband.”
O’Neal further elaborated on his views about trust in relationships, asserting that if he is committed and present physically, it should not matter what he does on his phone. “It’s not cheating,” he insisted. “I just don’t understand that.”
