Shaquille O'Neal Memoir: Talks Cheating In New Book 'Shaq Uncut: My Story'

NBA star Shaquille O'Neal details his time on and off the court in a new memoir, "Shaq Uncut: My Story," which hit shelves Tuesday.

The memoir touches on his marriage to Shaunie Nelson, which ended in 2009 amid cheating allegations. Shaq admits that while he did stray from the marriage, he never did it "disrespectfully":

"At one time my ex-wife Shaunie and I were happy, but I admit it--I was a guy. I was a guy with too many options. Choosing to be with some of those women, well, that's on me. In my mind, I never did it disrespectfully, but obviously I shouldn't have done it all."

Despite their messy breakup -- Shaq's attorney even sent a letter to VH1 to prevent his ex-wife from discussing their relationship on "Basketball Wives" -- Shaq admits fault for the marriage's demise and says he learned a valuable lesson from their seven-year union. He writes:

"You know as well as I do relationships are about maintaining... It wasn't the big stuff, it was the small stuff, and that's my fault. I had things to do. I was trying to win, trying to make some money. I admit I wasn't the best partner. I just didn't know how. I'm learning now."

Shaq has been dating reality show star Nikki Alexander since 2010.

Below, other athletes whose marriages ended in messy divorces:

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• Chad Johnson and Evelyn Lozada

  Chad Johnson and Evelyn Lozada's whirlwind <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20621087,00.html" target="_hplink">41-day marriage</a> came to an end in August 2012 when Lozada filed for divorce from the former NFL wide receiver. Earlier that month, Johnson <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/11/chad-johnson-arrested-head-butt-evelyn-lozada-report_n_1768973.html" target="_hplink">reportedly head-butted his now-ex-wife</a> during an argument. "Basketball Wives" star Lozada was <a href="http://hollywoodlife.com/2012/08/12/evelyn-lozada-chad-johnson-domestic-violence-basketball-wives/" target="_hplink">hospitalized for a laceration</a> on her head, and <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1294212-chad-johnson-arrested-on-domestic-violence-charges" target="_hplink">Johnson was arrested</a> on misdemeanor domestic violence charges. The following day, the Miami Dolphins announced that they were <a href="http://aol.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2012-08-15/chad-johnson-cut-hard-knocks-video-miami-dolphins-coach-joe-philbin-awkward" target="_hplink">terminating Johnson's contract</a>. In a possible attempt to win her back, Johnson had <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/09/04/chad-johnson-ochocinco-tattoo-evelyn-lozada/" target="_hplink">Lozada's face tattooed </a>on his right calf. The couple's <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000064112/article/chad-johnsons-divorce-from-evelyn-lozada-finalized" target="_hplink"> divorce was finalized</a> on September 19.

• Dwyane and Siohvaughn Funches-Wade

  NBA star Dwyane Wade's divorce from high school sweetheart Siohvaughn Funches lasted almost four years -- it began in <a href="http://myfamilylaw.com/celebrityblog/2008/10/13/dwyane-wade-divorce/" target="_hplink">November 2007</a> and wasn't <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2010-06-25-dwyane-wade-divorce_N.htm" target="_hplink">finalized until June 2010</a>. In May 2010, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/05/gabrielle-union-lawsuit-d_n_564857.html" target="_hplink">Funches-Wade filed a lawsuit</a> against Wade's girlfriend, actress Gabrielle Union, for "engag[ing] in sexual foreplay" with Wade in front of their two young children. It was <a href="http://www.tmz.com/2010/08/17/gabrielle-union-dwyane-wade-siohvaughn-wade-foreplay-sex-lawsuit/" target="_hplink">later dismissed </a>by an Illinois judge. She also <a href=" http://www.vibe.com/article/testimony-dwyane-wade-did-not-give-wife-std" target="_hplink">accused her ex-husband of giving her chlamydia</a>, although sworn witness testimony proved otherwise. In addition to the messy divorce proceedings, the ex-couple was also embroiled in a nasty custody battle over their two sons, Zion and Zaire. Wade was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/13/dwyane-wade-custody-battle_n_835101.html" target="_hplink">awarded sole custody</a> in March 2011, which his ex-wife later <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/3/prweb9279473.htm" target="_hplink">unsuccessfully attempted to appeal</a>. In June 2012, she was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/19/dwyane-wade-custody-siohvaughn-arrest-sons_n_1609844.html" target="_hplink">arrested for trying to abduct</a> their two children.

• Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren

  In 2009, Tiger Woods made headlines for something other than his golf skills when reports of <a href="http://entertainment.blogs.foxnews.com/2009/12/07/tiger-woods-linked-to-10-women-cori-rist-jamie-jungers/" target="_hplink">his numerous extramarital affairs</a> began to surface. First, the <a href="http://www.pga.com/news/pga-tour/tiger-woods-chronology-2009-2010" target="_hplink"><em>National Enquirer</em> published</a> a story about his alleged affair with Rachel Uchitel, a New York nightclub hostess. Days later, Woods was involved in a <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-27/us/tiger.woods_1_police-chief-daniel-saylor-woods-wife-tiger-woods-foundation?_s=PM:US" target="_hplink">minor car crash</a> outside of his Florida home which led to <a href="http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/until-tiger-woods-addresses-questions-surrounding-car-accident-speculation-will-contin" target="_hplink">widespread speculation</a> about the circumstances of the accident. In the following weeks, <a href="http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2009/12/the-women-of-tiger-woods-full-list--pictures/" target="_hplink">roughly a dozen reported mistresses</a> came forward, releasing <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/waitress_tells_of_golfer_sex_drive_nCfMAsVkmMZ8XylL1TEWfP" target="_hplink">incriminating voicemails</a> and <a href="http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2009/12/tiger-woods-text-messages-flat-out-ridiculous/" target="_hplink">text messages</a> Woods had sent -- all while married to Elin Nordegren. The ex-couple <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20414961,00.html" target="_hplink">finalized their divorce</a> in August 2010 after almost <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,710377,00.html" target="_hplink">six years of marriage</a>. Nordegren walked away with <a href="http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-05-10/gossip/27064013_1_woods-and-nordegren-custody-battle-neck-pain" target="_hplink">joint custody of their two children</a> and a reported <a href="http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2010/10/exclusive-tiger-woods-divorce-payout-wife-revealed-110-million" target="_hplink">$110 million settlement</a>.

• Mike Tyson and Robin Givens

  Robin Givens <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1974703_1974707_1974754,00.html" target="_hplink">filed for divorce</a> merely eight months after marrying famed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in February 1988. Both partners accused the other of erratic behavior and abuse: <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/30/sports/wife-discusses-tyson.html" target="_hplink">Givens told Barbara Walters</a> that Tyson was manic depressive and that she lived a "life of horror" with the boxer. In divorce papers, she states that Tyson "has throughout our marriage been violent and physically abusive, and prone to unprovoked rages of violence and destruction." In return, <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1974703_1974707_1974754,00.html" target="_hplink">Tyson attempted to have their marriage annulled</a>, claiming that <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=0q4DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16&lpg=PA16&dq=campaign+to+publicly+humiliate+%5Bme%5D,+strip+%5Bme%5D+of+%5Bmy%5D+manhood+and+...+dignity+and+to+destroy+%5Bmy%5D+credibility+as+a+public+figure.&source=bl&ots=RItB47_Wua&sig=C5Cl51Oyuna1P-Bfb1B2JeotE9E&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ZlxbUMnrMuSdiQKE24Eg&ved=0CDQQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_hplink"> he had been subjected to</a> "extreme cruelty" and that Givens had manipulated him into marriage by falsely telling him she was pregnant. Tyson accuses her of waging a "campaign to publicly humiliate [me], strip [me] of [my] manhood and ... dignity and to destroy [my] credibility as a public figure." In the end, Givens received a cool <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2125932/Mike-Tyson-admits-seeing-ex-wife-Robin-Givens-Brad-Pitt-turned-wet-noodle.html" target="_hplink">$10 million settlement</a>.

• Jason and Joumana Kidd

  NBA star Jason Kidd and his ex-wife, Joumana, split in January 2007 after 10 years of marriage. In the <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2725524" target="_hplink">divorce filing</a>, he accused her of "extreme cruelty" throughout their union. "The defendant's extreme and unwarranted jealousy and rage has left the plaintiff concerned about her emotional stability," the papers say, noting that Joumana had kicked, hit, punched and thrown household items at her husband numerous times. Joumana filed <a href="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/wife-jason-kidd-serial-abuser-adulterer" target="_hplink">her own lawsuit</a> one month later, in which she portrayed the basketball star as a binge drinking abuser who assaulted her while she was pregnant with the couple's first child. She accused him of engaging in extramarital affairs with television reporters, strippers, a New Jersey Nets season ticket holder (where Kidd had previously played), a Nets employee and a cheerleader. Prior to the dramatic dissolution of their marriage, Kidd was <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-400_162-265684.html" target="_hplink">arrested for spousal abuse in January 2001</a> and pleaded guilty to hitting Joumana.

• Alex Rodriguez and Cynthia Scurtis

  Alex Rodriguez's ex-wife, Cynthia Scurtis, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/06/alex-rodriquezs-wife-cynt_n_111104.html " target="_hplink">filed for divorce</a> in July 2008, citing "emotional abandonment" of her and their children in addition to "extramarital affairs and other marital misconduct." The documents were filed several days after the New York Yankees star was linked to Madonna in various media outlets and Scurtis' subsequent trip to visit Lenny Kravitz in his Paris home (she denied anything "improper" happened). Prior to the couple's separation, Rodriguez had been linked to several strippers, playboy models, and <a href="http://articles.nydailynews.com/2009-03-22/gossip/17917912_1_call-girl-friend-four-seasons " target="_hplink">prostitutes</a>. In the divorce petition, Scurtis demanded the couple's $12 million Florida estate and an equitable distribution of all assets acquired during their marriage, in addition to alimony and child support. Rodriguez countered that he would only give her what was mandated in their prenuptial agreement. They <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/09/18/2008-09-18_yankee_star_alex_rodriguez_and_cynthia_r.html#ixzz1IEHtl4Rf " target="_hplink">privately settled</a> their multi-million dollar split in September 2008.

• Chuck Finley and Tawny Kitaen

  Three days after former MLB pitcher Chuck Finley's ex-wife, Tawny Kitaen, was <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/news/2002/04/03/kitean_finley_ap/ " target="_hplink">arrested</a> for attacking him with a stiletto heel, Finley<a href="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/chuck-finley-strikes-back " target="_hplink"> filed for divorce</a>. In the petition and restraining order filed in April 2002, Finley claimed his wife was a suicidal and abusive drug user who poses a danger to their two children. The couple's nanny also filed a declaration, in which she testified that one of the kids frequently asked her, "Is mommy whacked out today?" One month later (and after a stint in rehab for prescription drug addiction), Kitaen <a href="http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/kitaen-finley-abuses-booze-pot-steroids " target="_hplink">fired back</a> with allegations of her own, contending that Finley was a binge drinker, marijuana smoker and illegal steroid user. Since the split, Kitaen has had numerous run-ins with the law, including arrests for drug possession and driving under the influence.

• Greg Norman and Laura Andrassy

  Golfer Greg Norman <a href="http://au.pfinance.yahoo.com/photos/photo/-/14167220/the-worlds-most-expensive-divorce-settlements/14167222/ " target="_hplink">divorced</a> Laura Andrassy, his wife of 25 years, in May 2006. Though he denied it at the time, Norman was having an affair with then-married tennis player Chris Evert, whom he married merely weeks after their respective divorces were finalized. During the messy divorce proceedings, Andrassy's lawyers accused Norman of cutting off her credit cards and leaving her without income. She eventually received a reported $103 million in the <a href="http://www.elistmania.com/juice/10_most_expensive_divorce_settlements/ (settlement)" target="_hplink">settlement</a>. When Norman's quickie marriage to Evert fell apart 15 months after their nuptials, <a href="http://www.page2live.com/2009/10/03/exclusive-greg-normans-ex-opens-up-on-norman-evert-split/ (" target="_hplink">Andrassy commented</a>, "He made his bed."

Comments

[Patrice Stevens]

03:36 PM on 04/11/2012

Cheating on your wife is disrespectful. Its disrespectful to your wife, and to your family. Shaq still has a lot to learn.

[Scarlet Demonte]

06:17 PM on 02/13/2012

I think in a man's mind if they cheat and maintain the household financially and the wife does not see, or ear anything then everything is fine. This is the old boy's club mentally of how they justify for cheating. Quite frankly, many women except this especially if their lifestyle is of certain status. He NEVER expected to get caught or lose his marriage over seeking other women.This shows how DUMB these men really are and they NEVER really play the game better than the scorned other woman or a smart no nonsense wife. He will cheat on his next wife because that's the type of man he is and the spots never change on a leopard.

[Jennifer Modeste-Jarvis]

03:44 PM on 12/29/2011

But don't people seek certain qualities in people before being married to them firstly? I read an article in a magazine that he was very abusive to her by telling her 'what are you going to do? you can't do anything', some of the times in front of her mom.

[Helena Williamstom]

05:14 PM on 11/23/2011

Shaq has a lot in common with Homer Simpson.

[timbeaux]

10:26 PM on 11/21/2011

Hooooo hooooo hooooo. How much in denial can one person possibly be? Cheating on your wife (or husband) is the ultimate act of disrespect, not to mention a great way to expose him or her to STDs that he or she did nothing to deserve. And WRITING A BOOK ABOUT IT isn't disrespecting her?!?!

What a lummox.

[Di Gray]

02:50 PM on 11/21/2011

Take the whole statement in context: "In my mind, I never did it disrespectfully, but obviously I shouldn't have done it all."

He's admitted his wrong in cheating. Not many do. Aside from that, I'm thinking that what he meant by, "In my mind, I never did it disrespectfully," is that he didn't flaunt it and that he didn't have a bunch of jumpoffs approaching his wife taunting her with, "I slept with yo man," and what not. I think he was speaking of being discreet about his indiscretions. And yes, he was discreet because it took some years for him to get caught.

And don't get your drawers all up in a bunch. I don't condone his behavior...not at all. It seems by the latter part of his statement though that he realized at some point that just cheating at all was disrespectful.

[Curchel Smoot]

09:44 AM on 11/21/2011

Very sad and sad many men think like this...

[girlpatriot]

11:12 PM on 11/20/2011

He cheats and then he is going to write a book about it... SERIOUS???

Sorry but when is cheating NOT disrespectful?

[raywil3]

02:02 PM on 11/21/2011

And we will buy it and make it a best seller. That says a lot about us.

[cecece]

11:55 AM on 11/20/2011

Here we go with all the people giving the "biological" excuse for why (mostly men) stray. Boredom, needing to spread seed and blahblahblah. It's hilarious how we just compare ourselves to animals, when, most animals do NOT have the same cerebral composition that we do. Yes, we have a hindbrain (basic drives for sex, reproduction, hunger, breathing) and a midbrain (emotions, survival) but we have a more developed forebrain (reasoning, values, morals) and sometimes it's easier for people to forget we ALL have that VERY DEVELOPED part of our brain that differentiates us from animals. Most animals are not capable of love, most animals are not capable of calculating the "what if's" like we are. I hate when people try to make evolution (or creationism) seem as if it were for nothing, that we are no more than animals who don't have morals and do not think critically. Men, I want all of you to stop making yourselves out to be barbarians living in caves. Stop blaming your own personal ego and selfishness on your hindbrain, and just think about about what it really is: you want to what you want to do, because it feels good, and you want to do it because you THINK you can get away with it. Why get married if all you are is an animal. Now, I do commend Shaq for NOT blaming it on the fact that he's an animal, but that he actually made the decision to do what he did.

[ladyrider1958az]

11:20 AM on 11/20/2011

He might have been a "guy" but since he cheating he surely wasn't a "man"

[ladyrider1958az]

11:20 AM on 11/20/2011

Really? Are YOU kidding? ALL blacks are rapists and cheaters? REALLY? That is one of the most idiotic things I have seen today.

[lemonella18]

01:05 PM on 11/20/2011

Ladyrider; I don't even know why you responded to that idiot Kuncern a2sus hole.

[booshh]

04:45 AM on 11/20/2011

For all the improvements of women's lot in society, you ladies are still stuck absurd expectations.

How is it you still don't understand that men want unlimited sexual access to a variety of attractive women? And you're partly to blame! Just look at all the things you want from a man (not the qualities you SAY you want): rich, handsome, tall, blah, blah...and yet when a man leverage these qualities and makes himself obedient to his nature, you call him a cheater.

Look at yourselves ladies. And don't think the man you have now has never strayed on you. Yeah, he's human too.

[booshh]

04:38 AM on 11/20/2011

Women take themselves way to seriously on here.

No wonder it's so easy for meant to cheat.

[bls2058]

12:22 AM on 11/20/2011

Now that's funny! Shaq needs to turn it around! If his wife had been the one who cheated on him multiple times throughout their marriage, and after being found out, she said "I never did it disrepectfully", how would he feel? All cheating is disrespectful....it's disrespectful of her feelings, her self-esteem, her self-respect. Being cheated on feels like a knife to the gut! The shame, despair, hurt, anger, etc. stay with you long after. It's called being jaded, you never really trust ever again, because that person stole that from you. Even many years after you've gotten on with your life and remarried, you hold a little peice of yourself back, so that no one ever has 100% of your ever again. So, as for him never cheating disrespectfully, Shaq think again, everything about it is disrespectful, and the only one you are fooling is yourself!

[booshh]

04:23 AM on 11/20/2011

How is it you only zeroed in on the one thing that upsets you? He wrote a whole section admitting his fallibility and took responsibility for his actions. Why is it necessary to judge and condemn from a distance? It's just a man telling his story.

[rxgrl]

06:24 PM on 11/20/2011

because he seems to think his cheating wasn't disrespectful and he is wrong...but based on your other posts I can see why you don't understand and you never will.

[greatsaves]

06:25 PM on 11/19/2011

Shaunie was married to a pal/business partner of Shaq's when she had an affair with Shaq and left her husband, a mere deacon, for the superstar. Sorry, my sympathy level for her is zero.