‘Why You Do Shannon Like That’: Shaquille O’Neal Fires Back After Explosive Leak Accuses Him of Seeking to Dig Up Dirt on Shannon Sharpe
Shaquille O’Neal, 53, has finally responded to fellow athlete-turned-podcaster Matt Barnes, 45, following dissemination of what purportedly is a leaked audio of Barnes claiming his former teammate wanted scandalous information about Shannon Sharpe, 56.
After being accused of sexual assault in a $50 million civil lawsuit, Sharpe has chosen to take a temporary leave of absence from ESPN despite denying the accusations from a young OnlyFans Influencer.
Shaquille O’Neal reacts to accusations he paid “top dollar” to find useful gossip about his sports media rival Shannon Sharpe. (Photos: Ethan Miller/Getty Images; Prince Williams/FilmMagic)
In the wake of the allegations against the “Club Shay Shay” podcaster facing a public relations nightmare, an audio clip of what ostensibly is Barnes alleging that O’Neal was looking to dig up dirt on his rival spread across the internet.
“I was in a group chat the other day, or actually, just yesterday. And Shaq said he’s paying top dollar for any information on ‘ol boy,” the supposed Barnes said in a snippet originally shared by Tasha K on Instagram on March 27.
The apparent Barnes voice continued, “So, again, I don’t know if y’all are on that kind of time or not. But Shaq is known to throw large sums of money around. So, just want to put that out there.” According to the “All the Smoke” podcaster, O’Neal begged, “Please, please, please, keep it quiet.”
Plus, Barnes suggested O’Neal was upset at Shannon because he “did some sh-t back to him awhile back and he’s been awful. That’s why he’s doing this.”
The following day on March 28, Tasha K shared a screenshot of apparent Instagram DMs she received from Barnes threatening to sue her for “this AI doctored” audio.
“Y’all post me again w some bullsh-t & ima sue you. You should know I have no issue admiting when I f-cked up,” he continued before accusing Tasha K of “trying to extort” him.
“I see one more lie we can play big bank take lil bank,” the message concluded.
Matt Barnes threatens to sue blogger Tasha K for leaking alleged audio of him making wilds claims about Shaquille O’Neal and Shannon Sharpe. (Photos: unwinewithtashak/Instagram)
It’s unclear if O’Neal saw Barnes’ response but he’s using the moment to crack jokes at Sharpe’s expense.
“[Damn,] I got caught again. I need that info. I’m paying [top] dollars #yallsodumb #yallbelieveanything #shaqiswhite,” former Los Angeles Lakers center wrote in his caption for a short video clip of him talking over the phone.
Shaq enhanced the comical clapback by jokingly offering to spend resources for useful slander about his “Inside the NBA” co-hosts, Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith.
“Hey, this is Shaq. I am paying top dollars for information. You know where Charles Barkley is at?” he said in the staged phone conversation shared online. “I’m also paying for information, you know where Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith at?”
O’Neal also humorously offered “big dollars” for information about “Inside the NBA” commentator and longtime TNT Sports broadcaster Ernie Johnson.
Shaq concluded the tongue-in-cheek skit by adding, “Hey, don’t tell nobody.”
On April 24, social media users had a field day reacting to Shaq trolling Barnes. For example, an impressed Instagram commenter posted, “Way to spin the situation.”
“Just don’t tell Matt Barnes,” another person quipped about the fake audio. Another replied, “Why you do shannon like that.”
A third believer said, “Unc why you always hating on the younger big men, is it cuz you feel like your legacy is under threat or is just cuz you’re paid to hate?”
One person in disbelief notedd, “That’s not Shaq’s voice sounds a lot like him, but it’s not him guaranteed.”
AllHipHop reposted Shaq’s video, and the comments were more balanced on that Instagram page. The “What’s Up Doc? (Can We Rock)” rapper caught heat from critics who took Barnes’ comments seriously.
“I wouldn’t put nothing past Shaq!” an O’Neal detractor expressed. A like-minded individual added, “I don’t believe anything Shaq says. He stays lying.”
The public beef between O’Neal and Sharpe came to a head with the release of Shaq’s diss track directed at the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame honoree in May 2024.
While Sharpe will be off ESPN television for the near future, O’Neal will continue to cover the 2025 NBA playoffs for TNT. “Inside the NBA” will move to ESPN and ABC starting with the 2025-26 season.
As for Sharpe, he has adamantly denied the accusations from the OnlyFans influencer he was involved with for nearly two years. and addressed his status with the network on April 24.
“My statement is found here, and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” The “First Take” panelist insisted in a statement posted to his X account. “At this juncture, I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties.”
The three-time Super Bowl champion continued, “I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”
In response to Sharpe’s decision to withdraw from the network for the time being, an ESPN spokesperson told The New York Post, “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”
