Shaquille O’Neal has been forced to comment on a viral photo that went viral that fans had speculated was him embracing an influencer.
The 7-foot-1 NBA legend addressed speculation surrounding a recent social media post by influencer Maria Ozuna Teachey.
The image showed her with an unidentified tall man draping large hands over her shoulders, coming to rest on her breasts.
Social media users were quick to play detective, with many theorizing that the figure in the image could be O'Neal himself.
The online buzz prompted the four-time NBA champion, 52, to personally shut down the rumors.
“Nope, not the kid,” O’Neal commented on a post shared by WorldStar’s Instagram account, according to a report by TMZ.
O'Neal, who was previously married to Shaunie O’Neal from 2002 to 2011, took the conversation further on his own Instagram.
He posted a reel featuring him posing with others in a similar manner to the viral photo, humorously addressing the speculation.
"Is this my girlfriend too? Trust me, I’ll let y'all know who my woman is, and by the way, my woman’s name is Shaqirah," O’Neal wrote, dismissing the rumors.
He followed up with another post, captioning it: "I will let y'all know when I’m in love."
Despite O'Neal's clarification, the drama continued to unfold.
A post by The Shade Room on Tuesday shared a screenshot of an alleged message from Teachey that added fuel to the fire.
The message read: "Come on, Kid. A time was had," followed by: "Why he lie to y'all man."
While the jury is still out on whether the picture was the basketball star, it's clear that O'Neal is no stranger to meeting up with influencers.
Earlier this year when Haliey Welch, better known as the Hawk Tuah girl was all the rage, he was spotted partying with her.
O’Neal, who was in Nashville for a DJ performance at Jon Bon Jovi's new venue, JBJ's Nashville, was photographed with Welch.
As TMZ reported, Welch and O’Neal were spotted chatting, taking photos, and later partying together.
During O’Neal’s DJ set, Welch took to the stage, dancing and interacting with the crowd.
In a moment that thrilled fans, she spat on one of Shaq’s microphones, performing her signature "hawk tuah" move.
