Shaquille O’Neal Takes Blame For Divorce From Ex-Wife Shaunie

Shaquille O’Neal is opening up about his divorce with Shaunie O’Neal … calling it one of his biggest regrets.

The 50-year-old Hall of Famer joined “The Pivot Podcast” with Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor this week and confessed that he was the cause for the breakdown in their marriage.

I’ve never talked about this, and I’m glad you guys asked because I don’t mind talking about this, but I was bad,” Shaq said. “She was awesome. She really was. It was all me.”

“I had the perfect situation, wife was finer than a mug. Kept giving me babies, still finer than a mug — I had it all. I don’t make excuses. I know I messed up.”

“Sometimes when you live that double life, you get caught up. I’m not going to say it was her; it was all me,” he added.

The hoops legend and Shaunie wed in 2002 at the the height of O’Neals NBA career. In 2009 Shaunie filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences.”

Shaq says his divorce from the “Basketball Wives” star and executive producer — who’s currently engaged to Pastor Keion Henderson — is one of the three big regrets that continues to linger in his mind. The other two … the strained relationships he had with Kobe Bryant and Penny Hardway.

Meanwhile, Shaunie’s hit series “Basketball Wives” is slated to return for season 10 May 16.

HipHollywood was first to report the cast (or should we say roster) for the new season which will include Jackie Christie, Jennifer Williams, Malyasia Pargo and previous cast members DJ Duffey, Brittish Williams, Brandi Maxiell and Brooke Bailey.

Shaunie will appear in a limited capacity this season. She told Deadline, “I cannot say how proud I am to have created and produced such a successful television franchise with VH1. Basketball Wives has gone above and beyond my wildest dreams. How awesome is it to say, ‘Tune in to Season 10? 10?!’”