“This was one of the most magical and special days of my life,” she said.
Basketball Wives star Shaunie O’Neal has announced her engagement to Pastor Keion Henderson after nearly two years of dating in a statement to PEOPLE.
“This was one of the most magical and special days of my life, being someone that had never officially been proposed to — like no down on one knee and asked ‘will you marry me’ moment,” O’Neal said in a statement. “And honestly I’m the person that thought I would never in my lifetime experience a love like this. Everything about that night was incredibly amazing.”
“I wouldn’t change a single thing. As a matter of fact, I wish I could experience it over and over again. Keion is an extraordinary man of God. He’s wise, he’s supportive, he’s so loving and attentive,” she said. “He loves me and my children in a way that has changed my life and my heart. He makes me want to be better every day. And I pray that I do the same for him. This love is FOREVER and I’m honored and overjoyed to do forever with him.”
Henderson, 40, proposed to O’Neal, 46, with a 4.22-karat diamond ring on an 18-karat white gold band, per HollywoodLife.
O’Neal was married to NBA icon Shaquille O’Neal from 2002 to 2011. The pair share four children and O’Neal has a son from a previous relationship. She met Henderson through a mutual friend before they began dating in February 2020.
Henderson has a 9-year-old daughter from a previous marriage. “I’ve never been more loved than I am right now,” he told PEOPLE.
“I’ve never met a more supportive person in my life. There is an inseparable connection that is undeniable between Shaunie and I,” he said in a statement of his own. “I am unwilling to let anyone else occupy her space. The love and respect we share for each other contributes to our ever evolving humility and growth. Which ultimately makes us more like God.
Who wouldn’t want a spouse that makes you more like The Creator? She simply brings out the best in me and wants the best for me. Any love that accomplishes all of that naturally is worth pursuing. Our engagement is the beginning of a new day.”
Henderson and O’Neal were loved-up on a tropical island when he popped the question at 11:11 p.m. The 11/11 motif has been “a meaningful symbolism and point of connection” for the couple, according to O’Neal’s rep.
It “has played a significant role throughout their relationship since the day they met as they call, text or pray together daily at that time each day without fail. Thus it became the perfect day to cement their love.”
Is there a chance Shaq will attend the wedding?
The former Los Angeles Lakers star and his ex-wife say that they remain good friends.
“I have agreed that there is nothing less in life to argue about,â€� O’Neal told HollywoodLife in February. “We don’t even have a lot to talk about anymore because everything is really about the kids. We have a great relationship. We get around each other like old friends. We laugh, we catch up real quick, and move on to the next thing. He lives his life. I live mine.â€�
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