Did Shaquille O'Neal Really Throw Joy Behar Out Of His Big Chicken Restaurant And Ban Her For Life? Exploring Viral Rumor

A rumor claiming that Shaquille O’Neal threw The View host Joy Behar out of his restaurant has set the internet ablaze. How much truth is there to the news? Let’s find out

Published on Jul 11, 2024  |  04:01 PM IST |  783.7K
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Did Shaquille O'Neal Really Throw Joy Behar Out Of His Big Chicken Restaurant? Find Out

Recently, a meme circulated on Facebook, claiming that former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal had kicked The View co-host Joy Behar out of his Big Chicken restaurant. The meme read, "Shaq Throws Joy Behar Out Of His Restaurant, Bans Her For Life, 'Keep Your Toxicity Out.'" This post gathered over 1.2k reactions, 289 comments, and 251 shares.

The View co-host, 81, had previously criticized Bill Belichick’s relationship with a woman nearly five decades younger, Jordon Hudson, during her talk show episode.

Searching Facebook revealed many users sharing the same rumor. Is it true that Shaq threw out Joy Behar from one of his restaurants? Let’s find out.

Verdict: Fake news

Shaquille O’Neal did not throw Joy Behar out of his restaurant

The first comment under the Facebook post linked to an article on SpaceXMania.com. The story, published on April 12, was titled, "Breaking: Shaq Ejects Joy Behar From His Big Chicken Eatery, 'Keep Your Toxicity Out.'"

The article stated, "In a surprising turn of events at Shaquille O'Neal's renowned Big Chicken restaurant in Las Vegas, a visit by television host Joy Behar took an unexpected turn, resulting in Behar being asked to leave by none other than the basketball legend himself. The incident, which unfolded amid discussions about politics and social issues, sparked debates about free speech, public decorum, and the responsibilities of restaurant owners in managing customer interactions."

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The article continued, explaining that the situation took a turn for the worse when Behar began discussing divisive political topics. Shaq decided to ask Behar to leave his restaurant to maintain a positive and inclusive atmosphere. 

In a later statement, Shaq mentioned that Big Chicken solely aims to offer people a "safe space" where they can openly be their true selves without having to be subjected to contentious conversations.

However, this story isn’t true. The website that posted the story labels some of its content as satirical on its "About Us" page and above articles. Additionally, the meme posted on Facebook had a watermark reading "satire."

READ MORE: Shaquille O'Neal, Who Went Viral For Allegedly Dating 21-Year-Old, Shares Thoughts on Bill Belichick Dating 24YO Jordon Hudson

Joy Behar’s opinion on Bill Belichick’s May-December romance with Jordon Hudson

The View co-host, 81, criticized Bill Belichick’s new relationship with a woman nearly five decades younger during an episode of the talk show that aired last month.

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“This week, the legendary football coach Bill Belichick was seen in public with his new girlfriend, Jordon Hudson,” Behar began the show’s Hot Topics segment.

She joked that when the former New England Patriots head coach asked Hudson how old she was, the brunette beauty said, ‘This many [while holding up her fingers]!’

When Sara Haines predicted that Belichick “takes [Hudson] places that she wouldn’t be going on her own,” Behar added, “Not in the bedroom, he’s not! There’s only so much Viagra in the world, OK?”


Behar later urged her co-hosts not to romanticize the relationship, insisting that “it’s about the cash.”

The pair reportedly met on a flight in 2021, bonding over a philosophy project Hudson, then a college student was working on. Belichick even signed Hudson’s textbook, writing, “Jordon, Thanks for giving me a course in logic! Safe travels!”

They exchanged numbers, and while their relationship was initially friendly, it reportedly turned romantic after Belichick split from his girlfriend of 10 years, Linda Holliday.

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READ MORE: Is Bronny James Really Replacing Kevin Durant on Team USA After Suns Star's Calf Injury? Exploring Viral Tweet

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About The Author

Natasha Bose, a master's graduate in English Literature from Indira Gandhi National Open University, is a Kolkata-based writer

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