Shaquille O'Neal Responds to Rumor He's Dating 21-Year-Old

Shaquille O'Neal wants to set the record straight on rumors he's dating a woman 32 years his junior.

Last week, Tik Toker/social media creator Noah Glenn Carter posted a video with the caption of "People are not happy that Shaq attended Sophie Rain’s birthday party." Rain is an internet model and social media influencer who just turned 21.

At her birthday party, Rain posted a photo of herself in Shaq's lap. The picture sparked dating rumors, though the NBA legend was reportedly just DJ'ing at Encore Beach Club at the time.

As it turns out, Shaq isn't dating Rain, and he didn't take kindly to Carter's video.

Shaq claps back

According to TMZ, in a since-deleted comment, O'Neal left no doubt about his lack of relationship with Rain.

“I don’t [date] that young but I will date your mom and give u a brother,” he wrote to Carter.

Carter went along with the bit, writing "My mom said no" in response to O'Neal's comment. Shaq had one more arrow in the quiver though.

"Stop tryna create rumors don’t make me slap you dude. your mom is hot tell her to hit me on my sky tell pager," he said in another since-deleted remark.

O'Neal has been candid about dating in the past

O'Neal actually shares four children--sons Shareef and Shaqir and daughters Amirah and Me’arah--with his ex-wife Shaunie, as well as another child from a previous relationship.

The four-time NBA champion has been open about his role in the dissolution of the marriage, even admitting his inability to stay faithful.

“Once I say I commit to you, I’m supposed to do that as a man. I didn’t do that. That’s why all s–t has always failed,” O’Neal explained during an episode of his podcast this past summer.

““But if you live a tiger lifestyle and then you try to become a tame tiger — it ain’t going to work. It’s not going to work. So, you know, there’s a reason why the divorce rate is high. Because we live a — and not all of us — but like, we live a certain lifestyle. And a lot comes with it. And then when that’s all stopping, and you trying to go out and look for that, if you don’t understand their rules and understand their laws — it’ll never work.”