Who is Arnetta Yardbourgh? All About Shaquille O’Neal’s Ex-girlfriend

Arnetta Yardbourgh is the former girlfriend of Shaquille O’Neal, the basketball legend whom she dated for four years and has a daughter with. She was born on December 10, 1971, and is now a 52-year-old American businesswoman and community activist.

Arnetta is currently engaged at the OTR life center as a qualified life coach. She has made it a point to link up, encourage, and build bridges among female professionals in Houston and its neighboring areas. Arnetta may have caught media attention for her relationship with Shaquille, but she has stayed relevant even though they are no longer a couple.

How Old Is Arnetta Yardbourgh?

Arnetta Yardbourgh, simply known as Arnetta, was born on 10 December 1971 and is 52 years old. The businesswoman was raised in Houston, Texas, a city in the United States. Arnetta is a mixed-race American woman, and her birth sign is Sagittarius. She acknowledges being a devoted Christian.

She received her high and middle school education at Texas’ Judson High School in San Antonio. She also has a degree from the University of Houston in business management which she now applies to manage her career. Few details about Arnetta’s parents are known because she has been secretive about her family background.

Yarbourgh and Shaquille O’Neal Began Dating in 1992

The Life Coach rose to fame for her relationship with former basketballer Shaquille O’Neal who she met and started dating in 1992. At the time they started dating, O’Neal had just graduated college and was at the precipe of his career, having been selected with the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic in the draft of 1992.

Their relationship was among some of the highest-profile ones of the nineties, going by how open they were about it and considering the fact that all eyes were on Big Shaq and his growing career at the time. While Shaq was already an independent star, Arnetta found herself being thrust into the spotlight solely because of her boyfriend.

She didn’t, however, do much to harness the newfound fame as many would have liked. Arnetta still kept a very low profile, choosing to keep her private life out of the public eye. This served her well, especially because their relationship did not survive the strain O’Neal’s fame put on it.

They had a Daughter Together But Broke Up in 1996

On July 18, 1996, the couple welcomed their daughter Taahirah into the world. At the time of her birth, her father, O’Neal, was 24 years old, and her mother, Arnetta, was 25 years old. Even though both parents were overjoyed at the time they got pregnant with their daughter, it also increased the strain on their relationship.

Hence, their relationship fell through in January 1996, shortly before their daughter was born in July. It was rather unfortunate that their daughter was born the same year that their relationship fell apart. Sadly, the couple never got to wed each other, and O’Neal would eventually come to a child support agreement after joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

To date, nobody seems to have an insight into why Arnetta and Shaquille O’Neal broke up. They both handled their split very well, with neither resorting to public defamation of the other. Many would agree that their relationship’s demise marked the end of a great era of famous sports relationships.

Both parents were devoted to maintaining harmony and creating a loving environment for their daughter. As a result, they have maintained their long-standing, friendly connection.

At the time of their split, Shaquille’s earnings with his former club, the Orlando Magic, had reached over $17.4 million. Shaq and Arnetta then agreed that he would provide for his daughter financially while Arnetta Yardbough got custody of her daughter until she was 18 years of age.

Arnetta Yardbough’s Daughter is a Philanthropist  

After she and Shaquille broke up, Arnetta focused on raising her daughter Taahirah O’Neal. Like her mother, Taahirah became a philanthropist. She received her degree from Oglethorpe University, a liberal arts school located in the Buckhead neighborhood of north Atlanta. According to sources, Yardbourgh’s kid with Shaq received a top grade point average and graduated with the highest honors in her class.

She actively participates in the development, fundraising, and community engagement. She has also been a fervent supporter of several charities and organizations there. According to her LinkedIn profile, Taahirah is currently employed at PepsiCo as a communications analyst. She has worked in social media marketing at various companies and for PepsiCo as an associate analyst in communications.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she has done a lot of volunteer work, including work with hospitals, social action organizations, and civil rights groups. Taahira O’Neal hopes that her success will not be largely determined by that of her father and has expressed her desire for a life free from his influence. Still, her love of philanthropy and serving those in need is one trait she shares with both parents.

Shaq and Taahirah have a very close relationship. He also spoke briefly during the celebration of her graduation from college. His speech detailed how much he loved Taahirah and was so proud of what she had accomplished. Also disclosed was his desire for her to attend law school, earn her master’s degree, and take over his business so he could retire. Given the vast economic empire he has amassed over the years, his declaration was indeed very significant.

Arnetta Yardbourg Is Currently Single And Focusing On Her Business 

Arnetta is a super private person; hence, it has not been very easy getting details of her love life since her breakup with Shaquille O’Neal. Although Arnetta Yardbourgh does have an Instagram account, it only has a few posts and nothing indicative of her current relationship status. Her posts mostly feature snapshots of her with her friends.

Conversely, Arnetta was highly active on Facebook up until the summer of 2021. On her Facebook page, there are plenty of postings and photographs there that describe her interests as well as her life in general.

Since their breakup, Shaq, her ex, has been connected to a number of women. Meanwhile, Arnetta has a demanding schedule due to her work and seems to be uninterested in any relationships or has done a good job keeping it to herself.

She is a Businesswoman and Philanthropist

Arnetta Yardbourgh is the founder and president of the coaching, wellness, and consulting business AY & ASSOCIATES. She has worked in the coaching and consulting fields for over 14 years. In addition, Yardbourgh serves as the president and co-owner of Sugar Land Legends, a men’s basketball ABA semi-pro team based in Sugar Land, Texas. She assumed these roles in 2012. She also serves as Houston’s FemCity Chapter President.

Yardbourgh is also a very avid supporter of the Women in Business Initiative, which is not surprising since her company is certified as a Woman-Owned Business (WBE). She is currently in the employment of Otr Life Coaching Inc. as a professional life coach. She works at AYA Micro Scalp as a makeup artist as well.

You could say that she is one of the many extremely talented people with a knack for practicing many skills. She has supported a lot of projects aimed at promoting wellness and mindfulness; Yardbourgh has certainly earned her title as a prolific social change agent.

She especially adores working with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and organizations. The life coach also never holds back from going to sporting events and business possibilities. As an external coach, she has made an enviable career of coaching and guiding upcoming and aspiring athletes in her Texas hometown.

Arnetta Yardbourgh’s Net Worth is $300k

Business is Arnetta’s main source of revenue. Her job as a businesswoman has brought her considerable wealth. Her net worth is alleged to be around $300,000. She continues her work as an outside coach with other business owners, entrepreneurs, and organizations. While her net worth is not comparable to her famous ex, Arnetta created a very stable and comfortable life for herself and her daughter.