NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is doing his best to shut down the latest rumors about his love life after finding himself at the center of social media speculation this week. The buzz started when Instagram influencer Maria Ozuna Teachey posted a photo of a large man with his arms around her. Though the upper half of the man’s body wasn’t visible, fans were quick to speculate that the mystery man was none other than Shaq, given their similarly massive builds. With O’Neal standing at 7-foot-1 and possessing a distinct frame, many assumed the man in the photo had to be him.
However, Shaq wasted little time debunking the rumors. A few days ago, he took to Instagram to deny that he was the man in the picture. In a playful post, O’Neal shared a slideshow of himself with various women, captioning it, “Is this my girlfriend too? Trust me, I’ll let y’all know who my woman is.” This seemed to be Shaq’s way of dismissing the assumptions, making it clear that if he were in a relationship, he wouldn’t be hiding it.
But the plot thickened when Maria Teachey responded by sharing a video that appeared to show her spending time with Shaq, reigniting the rumors.
Even with the new footage, O’Neal remained adamant that he wasn’t romantically involved with her. He doubled down by posting a video featuring himself alongside rapper Peter Gunz, both mouthing the lyrics to Shaggy’s hit song “It Wasn’t Me,” as a humorous way to deny any involvement. O’Neal added a cheeky caption to the video: “I might not know the words, but I do know it wasn’t me.”
Shaq’s response was both playful and direct, reaffirming that he has nothing to hide when it comes to his personal life. He has openly stated in the past that when he does fall in love again, the public will be the first to know. This suggests that any romantic involvement with Teachey is unlikely, at least from his perspective.
As for Teachey, it’s unclear whether she intends to let the matter go. Given that she continued to post after Shaq’s initial denial, there may be more developments in the ongoing speculation surrounding their relationship—or lack thereof.
While Shaq’s personal life has been in the spotlight before, this latest alleged hookup doesn’t seem to carry much weight in the grand scheme of things. O’Neal, known for his larger-than-life personality both on and off the court, has dealt with media attention around his relationships for years. Still, the ongoing back-and-forth between O’Neal and Teachey has captured the attention of fans, and it remains to be seen how this online saga will unfold.
For now, Shaq seems content to continue having fun with the situation, using humor and iconic song lyrics to brush off the latest rumors.
Whether or not this puts an end to the speculation, it’s clear that O’Neal is in control of the narrative—at least for the time being. Fans will have to wait and see if Teachey decides to respond again or if the situation finally cools down.
