Updated March 26, 2026, 5:56 p.m. ET
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal denies putting the moves on Sabrina Carpenter.
In a March 20 episode of “The Big Podcast,” the NBA legend dispelled a viral rumor claiming he slid into the “Espresso” singer’s DMs by reading the fake messages to fellow co-host Bailey Jackson and guest, rapper Jim Jones, aloud.
“I’m gonna show you something on social media about me. So, I want you to tell me if it’s me or if it’s not me. Alright, read that,” Shaq said, as he shows Jones the post, which claims the “leaked” messages prove the ex-Los Angeles Lakers player was caught “shooting his shot.”
After reading the racy correspondence, which includes a response from what People called a fake Carpenter account, Shaq asks Jackson to confirm whether it’s him or if it’s “cap.”
“Thank you. Yeah, that went viral. Look, you see that?” Shaq said. “First of all, ladies, the Diesel got way more game than that. I’m just saying.”
What did the ‘fake’ DMs say?
According to a screenshot of the DMs in question, which TMZ obtained, the sender, who seemingly initiated the correspondence, sent a handful of suggestive messages to the Carpenter account.
The sender started off strong, cracking a joke about farts before venturing into more explicit territory after the receiver responded. Some, but not all of the messages, contain explicit content.
“i know who you are… you’re way too famous to be sending messages like that,” the Carpenter account responds.
The only profile picture that is visible is the one of the sender, who is seemingly posing as Shaq. The profile pictures of the sender match the real Shaq’s current profile picture on Instagram.
As of March 26, Carpenter has not commented on the matter. USA TODAY contacted the singer’s reps on March 26, but has not received a response.
