"I was hoodwinked": Royce Reed reveals Shaquille O'Neal's ex-wife Shaunie Henderson tricked her into joining Basketball wives

Royce Reed and Shaquille O’Neal’s former wife Shaunie Henderson were two of the original members of the reality show Basketball Wives. Suzie Ketcham, Gloria Govan, Jennifer Williams and Evelyn Lozada were also part of the original cast.

Reed was still dancing for the Miami Heat at that time when she agreed to join the show. Henderson was the one who sold her the idea.

In an interview with Carlos King, Reed opened up how she and Henderson became partners. The former dancer, though, didn’t hold back and added something that somewhat surprised King (14:40 mark):

“She came up to me one day and she asked me if I would be interested in doing a show. I was like, ‘What kind of show?’ ‘You know, just kind of following those relationships about basketball players and you being a dancer.’ I was like, ‘Oh, okay.’

“I trusted that it was gonna be a very positive show that really showed everybody’s career. I was hoodwinked! Bamboozled!”

Royce Reed added that once she decided to be part of the show, she was all in right from the start. She added that she did more work in the developing stages of the project than people know or give her credit for (15:58 mark):

“I was the only cast member that went to all the stations. I was the only one that was in those meetings. Shaunie (Henderson) wasn’t even there. It was me and Tom (Huffman). … I met with all the heads. … She wasn’t even there.”

The former Miami Heat dancer was part of the first four seasons of the Basketball Wives.

Many were surprised and even quite frustrated that her story wasn’t particularly developed in the show. It’s for this reason that she's complaining about (producer) Shaunie Henderson bamboozling her.

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A court injunction likely limited Royce Reed’s role in Basketball Wives

Basketball Wives, featuring the likes of Royce Reed and Shaunie Henderson, premiered on April 11, 2010.

Just weeks before the show was launched, Reed received an injunction from the court that likely limited her role in the reality series. Dwight Howard, Reed’s former lover and the father of her son Braylon, had filed a motion for contempt against her.

Reed was prohibited from discussing her relationship with the then-Orlando Magic superstar. She was also ordered not to ridicule or deride the basketball player. Reed’s relationship with the big man was almost always referred to as a “star NBA player.”

Royce Reed told Carlos King that she should have had more coverage considering that she had “sold” the show. King added that on certain occasions that Reed even “stole” the show.

The producers and Tom Huffman, the creator, were likely walking on eggshells, considering the injunction. Eventually, Reed claimed that she quit the show due to a broken hand, contradicting rumors that she was “fired.”