Shaquille O’Neal has publicly dismissed speculation that he is dating OnlyFans creator Sophie Rain after a photo and video from the 21-year-old influencer’s Las Vegas birthday celebrations triggered online claims of a relationship. The 53-year-old former NBA centre responded directly in social media comments, stating that he does not date women that young and making light of the rumours in a quip aimed at a content creator who amplified the claims. The exchange followed days of online chatter after images circulated of Rain and O’Neal at Encore Beach Club, where O’Neal performs DJ sets under the name DJ Diesel.
The speculation gathered pace after clips showed Rain celebrating her milestone birthday in a crowded day-club environment with O’Neal in the booth and posing for a photograph together. The footage, recorded during a weekend of events in late September, pushed the story across TikTok and Instagram and spurred commentary focused on the pair’s 32-year age gap. O’Neal, a four-time NBA champion who frequently appears in Las Vegas for club performances, had been scheduled to appear at the venue, and sources close to the influencer scene documented the meeting as part of Rain’s birthday night rather than as the start of a relationship.
The flashpoint arrived when TikToker Noah Glenn Carter posted a video suggesting the two were romantically involved and calling the age difference “uncomfy”. O’Neal responded underneath a related social post with a line that was widely re-shared: “I don’t [date] that young but I will date your mom and give u a brother.” He added further remarks that he later deleted, telling the creator to stop pushing rumours and explaining he was working at the club when Rain turned up. The comments were seized on as his most explicit rejection of the dating narrative and were presented across entertainment outlets alongside screenshots documenting the now-deleted posts.
Shaq responds to rumors that he slept with Sophie Rain