EXCLUSIVE: Shaunie O’Neal on raising black boys and fearing for her sons’ lives: “I’m scared every day”

Money and fame won't protect black men from police brutality.

May 22, 2018

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Shaunie O’Neal may be a reality star but her most important job is raising her children. During an exclusive interview with Cherise Nicole, the Basketball Wives star revealed that she fears for her sons’ lives every time they leave the house because of the rising rate of police brutality against black men.

“I have older boys and two of them are driving which is scary to me just because of the police nowadays. I’m scared if the cops pull me over,” she said.

“I feel so nervous when they pull me over so for my boys, I’m nervous and scared every day. Every day that they leave, I really am concerned. I would rather pay for an Uber for everything than for them to drive most of the time. Now it’s like there’s no correct way.”

Shaunie O’Neal says that despite her and Shaq’s fame and fortune, her sons aren’t safe from racist cops.

“I remember telling Myles, my oldest, ‘If you ever get pulled over just put both of your hands on the steering wheel so they can see your both of your hands until they come to the side and just say, ‘Yes sir,'” she explained.

“Now there’s no correct way because it’s like everything you do is wrong. They don’t care. They ask you for your car registration and you reach for that and it’s a problem.”

The reality star and entrepreneur also noted that even though police requests are often unreasonable, she urges her sons to comply with any order given by cops, right or wrong.

“The only thing I can tell them is to be aware at all times and be very respectful. Whatever he tells you to do, do it, wrong or—because some of the stuff is dead ass wrong, a lot of it is— but it’s just that you don’t want to be combative. I think that escalates things. At the same time, it’s me telling them to constantly look over their shoulder.”

According to Shaunie, preparing her sons for the current state of society is a daunting task and she resents having to go to such lengths just to keep them safe.

“To listen to yourself say this to your kids is nuts. I’m almost saying, ‘When you leave the house, be scared. be scared every day that you get in that car.’ But what else do you say? You do have to be aware and fearful because that’s the times we’re living in. There’s nothing else I can equip them with,” she continued.

“Even now, going to eat, you get kicked out of places. You’re sitting around, you get kicked out. It’s like, I don’t know what to tell them anymore. You gotta look out for everybody… It’s a very scary time.”

Evelyn Lozada shared a similar sentiment and said she hopes by the time the son she shares with Carl Crawford is older, police relations will have improved.

Check out the full interview above.