Shaquille O’Neal has denied sending flirty DMs to Sabrina Carpenter.
Social media images went viral earlier this month, appearing to show an exchange of raunchy messages between the 26-year-old pop star and the 54-year-old basketball legend.
The retired sportsman has now shut down speculation that he slid into the Espresso singer’s DMs.
“First of all, ladies, the Diesel got way more game than that,” he insisted on a recent episode of his The Big Podcast, referring to his nickname Big Diesel. “I’m just saying.”
O’Neal then read the alleged DMs aloud with a laugh.
“‘Damn, baby, I would keep your farts in a cologne bottle and spray it on me every day,'” he said, quoting the fake exchange. “‘Just jokes, I’m Shaq. What’s your name, baby?’ And Sabrina says, ‘I know who you are. You’re way too famous to be sending messages like that.'”
In his response, O’Neal purportedly wrote, “‘I can’t be horny and want some of that snow bunny kitty for no reason. You can’t handle Big Diesel anyway.'”
His podcast guest, rapper Jim Jones, added that social media is a “dangerous place” and it was “so crazy what people are spending their energy and time on”.
The sports star then chalked the situation up to “youngsters” who are focused on “the algorithm and going viral”.
O’Neal shares five children with his ex-wife Shaunie Henderson, to whom he was married between 2002 and 2011. He also has a daughter from a prior relationship.
Manchild singer Carpenter has yet to address the viral DMs.
