Kate Beckinsale To 'Snatch' Shaquille O'Neal's Ex-Wife's 'Wig' Over Not 'In Love' Comments
Kate Beckinsale is coming to her friend Shaquille O'Neal's defense after his ex-wife Shaunie Henderson questioned her love for him in her memoir.
On Wednesday, the British actress, 50, told O'Neal via Instagram that she was ready to "snatch a wig or two" to defend him after Henderson said she was unsure if she was ever really in love with the basketball pro-turned-sports analyst.
"Hey now," Beckinsale commented on O'Neal's response to Henderson's comments. "We all have a sociopathic ex. I got you -want me to pull up and snatch a wig or two? I will ...love you man."
A number of Instagram users praised Beckinsale for her show of support for Shaq, with some even saying they would join her.
"Gangsta Kate!" one person responded to the "Underworld" star's comment.
Another replied, "Kate, you're a real one."
"I'm coming, too. No one hurts Shaq," a third comment read.
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However, some criticized Beckinsale for defending O'Neal despite his previous admission of being a "serial cheater." Others claimed that her comment was racist.
"Not sure it's fair to call his ex-wife a sociopath when Shaq admitted he made a lot of mistakes when married," one Instagram user responded to Beckinsale's comment.
Another person wrote, "Assuming she wears a wig, seems kind of racist of you."
Beckinsale was responding to the somber message O'Neal posted on Instagram following the release of his ex-wife's memoir.
In her newly released book, "Undefeated: Changing the Rules and Winning on My Own Terms," Henderson wrote of O'Neal, "Looking back, I don't know that I was ever really in love with the man, but I was in love with the idea of being married to the man I had a family with."
The Basketball Wives star added, "I was in love with the idea of building a life together. I truly did enjoy spending time with him. [NBA] road trips allowed me to be with my husband and experience the NBA life for a little while."
In response, O'Neal took to Instagram Wednesday to post a message that read: "I understand...I wouldn't have been in love with me either. Wishing you all the best. All love, Shaq."
The former Laker captioned the post, "Trust me I get it."
It wasn't just Beckinsale who expressed support for O'Neal following his message.
His and Henderson's son Shareef commented on his post, "Love you man! You saved my life."
"Literally the most lovable and likable person on the planet!" the 24-year-old wrote in another comment.
O'Neal and Henderson were married from 2002 to 2011. In addition to Shareef, they share three other children: son Shaqir and daughters Amirah and Me'arah.
O'Neal previously admitted to cheating on Henderson multiple times during their relationship and expressed regret for his actions.
"I was a serial cheater," the basketball legend said on his podcast, "The Big Podcast with Shaq," in 2022.
He added, "I'm not proud of it. I lost my family doing it. I lost valuable, important years with my children doing it."
In an earlier interview on the "Pivot Podcast," O'Neal praised Henderson as "awesome" and admitted that he was solely to blame for their marriage falling apart.
"It was all me," he confessed. "We don't need to talk about what I was doing, but I wasn't protecting her and protecting those vows. Sometimes you live that double life and get caught up. I'm not going to say it was her. It was all me."
