Natalie Nunn has added an unexpected footnote to Shaquille O’Neal’s long and well-documented public life.
Appearing on Cam Newton’s Funky Friday podcast, the reality television veteran said the NBA legend bought her first car while she was a college student at the University of Southern California—a claim that quickly drew skepticism from the former NFL quarterback and, soon after, the internet.
“Shaq bought me my first car,” Nunn said on the episode released Friday. The vehicle, she specified, was a Mercedes-Benz convertible valued at roughly $21,000, given to her in the early 2000s while she was attending USC.
Nunn, now 41 and best known for her breakout role on Bad Girls Club, framed the gesture as non-romantic. At the time, she said, O’Neal acted as a mentor, encouraging her both academically and athletically. Nunn competed in track and field for the Trojans.
Newton, 36, was unconvinced. He repeatedly questioned the nature of the relationship, at one point bluntly asking whether the two had dated. When Nunn denied any romantic involvement, Newton pushed back, suggesting the story didn’t align and labeling the situation “messy.”
At the time Nunn says the car was gifted—around 2003 or 2004—O’Neal was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and was married to Shaunie O’Neal. The couple divorced in 2011.
Clips from the podcast began circulating online over the weekend, gaining traction after being shared on X by the account @KillaKreww. The video surpassed 1.4 million views, with reactions ranging from amused disbelief to outright speculation. Some users pointed to O’Neal’s history of generosity and philanthropy, while others questioned whether such a gift could realistically be described as platonic.
Nunn did not expand further on the claim during the podcast. O’Neal, now 53, a four-time NBA champion and Hall of Famer, has not commented publicly.
For now, the story lives where these things usually do—somewhere between nostalgia, rumor, and the uncomfortable gray space where celebrity memory meets public scrutiny.
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Last modified: December 29, 2025
