Shaquille O’Neal is done with rumours circulating about him on social media.
My favorite thing is always saying, ‘image is reality,’ ” O’Neal told PEOPLE. He recently slammed a website for posting a photo of him with a friend’s wife.
O’Neal said, “Nothing is going to stop me from taking pictures” with friends or fans. But when “the false narrative comes out, and you get another guy taking the picture and putting it on his page. It’s all clickbait.”
The basketball legend said he’s fully aware of the nature of social media.
“Listen, everybody wants their page to be famous, I understand it,” O’Neal said. “You have to understand, you don’t go to people’s wives. That’s something you just don’t do.”
“I’m 53, so I’m done with all that,” he added.
O’Neal was recently caught in some controversy when Natalie Dunn said the Hall of Famer purchased her first car.
Shaq bought me my first car,” Nunn said on Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday” podcast. She later clarified that they were never an item. “I never dated Shaq.”
O’Neal is also bringing Shaq’s Fun House during the Super Bowl festivities in San Francisco. He said he began throwing the party because no one was having fun at the shindigs he’s been invited to.
“Every Super Bowl party that I’ve attended is just people standing around, can’t hear the music, talking, walking around,” he said.
“A lot of times you charge people to get into these parties,” O’Neal continued. “So if we’re going to charge people to get into parties, we want you to have fun. We have carnival rides, we have carnival performers, refreshments, sponsors there. Ice cream, water pitchers, free throw contest games, and then we’re going to have your favorite performers.”
Headlining this year’s lineup includes T-Pain, Tiesto, and O’Neal’s son, Myles.
“It’s going to be great weather and a great time,” O’Neal said.