Featured Image Credit: YouTube/The Big Podcast with Shaq
Topics: Sabrina Carpenter, Celebrity
Greg Harris
Topics: Sabrina Carpenter, Celebrity
Shaquille O’Neal is weighing in on the strange rumor claiming he'd sent ‘horny’ messages to Sabrina Carpenter.
The strange claims emerged online and quickly went viral, claiming that the NBA legend slid into Sabrina Carpenter’s DMs earlier this month.
According to US Weekly, the screenshots originated from an account that was alleged to have belonged to O'Neal. But did Shaq really shoot his shot, or was it all a hoax?
Speaking on the March 20 episode of his podcast, The Big Podcast, the Hall of Famer set the record straight.
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“First of all, ladies, the Diesel got way more game than that,” he said, referring to himself using his DJ name.
“I’m just saying.”
Not only did the rumor spread, but the alleged DMs also surfaced online, and Shaq, 54, read them aloud to rapper Jim Jones, who was appearing as a guest.
Putting it to his guests whether this is 'me or not me', he then read out the first fake text: "Damn, baby, I would keep your farts in a cologne bottle and spray it on me every day. Just jokes, I’m Shaq. What’s your name, baby?’"
The 'Manchild' singer then allegedly responds: "‘I know who you are. You’re way too famous to be sending messages like that’."
Following on from that, the texts then go down a more explicit route, as Shaq continued to read: “I can’t be horny and want some of that snow bunny kitty for no reason.
"You can’t handle Big Diesel anyway. My meat would have you in the hospital. Can we find out?”
Jones went on to brand the fake DMs as 'wild', describing the line about keeping her 'farts in a cologne bottle' as 'crazy', adding: "That's the illest line I've ever heard in my life."
Shaq was able to joke about the cringe-inducing text messages, theorising it was probably planned by ‘youngsters’ who are focused on ‘the algorithm and going viral’.
Jones added: "It’s so crazy what people are spending their energy and time on. I would think they would have better things to do."
Carpenter has not yet publicly addressed the fake texts.
The basketball star shares his eldest daughter, Taahirah, 29, with ex-girlfriend Arnetta Yardbourgh. He is also father to Myles, 28, Shareef, 26, Amirah, 24, Shaqir, 22, and Me'arah, 19, whom he shares with his ex-wife, Shaunie Henderson.
Meanwhile, the 'Espresso' singer is reportedly single following her split from Saltburn star, Barry Keoghan, in 2024.
This isn't the first time O'Neal has had to set the record straight about social media rumours; last year, he shut down claims that he was dating OnlyFans model Sophie Rain.
After being spotted together in a nightclub, people began to speculate about a possible relationship, with one commenter mentioning the 33-year age gap between them.
O'Neal then responded via an Instagram comment, which read: "I don’t [date] that young but I will date your mom and give u a brother."
According to E! News, the sports star said in a now-deleted comment that he was DJing when the 21-year-old 'came to my party', adding: "Stop tryna create rumors."
Rain also denied the rumors, telling US Weekly: "He reached out to me after and was like damn, we are famous, haha, I don’t know why people think we are dating. People are running with a wild story, but Shaq was nothing but respectful. It was my 21st birthday, and he made it unforgettable. I laughed when I saw the rumors.
"Shaq’s response says it all. He was never trying to be anything more than supportive and fun."
LADbible Group has reached out to Carpenter's representatives for comment.