Shaunie O'Neal: "'BBW Not Always Positive Portrayal of Women But..."

Read her open letter here

Shaunie O'Neal may be the executive producer of 'Basketball Wives,' but that doesn't necessarily mean she agrees with or supports the violent actions of her castmates - ones that have certainly become the reason ratings are so high - namely, the slapping, champagne bottle-throwing, bucket of water-dumping, lawsuit-filing, etc.

In a statement released to the public, O'Neal tried her best to distance herself from unladylike behavior we've seen from her friends:

"I'm extremely happy that Basketball Wives continues to have another successful fourth season. As the ratings have been through the roof since our season opener, fans continue to tune into the lives of Evelyn, Tami, Jennifer, Royce, Suzie and myself. As there is always controversy and indifference projected on the show, because we are all individual personalities, I always hope that people will find that as much as you may agree or disagree with the opinions, the behavior, [and] even our different taste in shoes, you are taking a look inside the lives of four complete different women. I will never say I agree with some of the behavior between my girlfriends on the show, but if we were to edit certain things out the show would be scripted and not reality.

[ALSO READ: Will Ev Ever be Punished for Her Violence?]

As a woman of color with kids, I am very aware of myself, but I also have to be aware that my choices cannot be the same for everyone on the show and I have to respect that. I hope the fans feel they see a balance and know we have always been real with our stories, even though it may not always be a positive portrayal of adult women but real women nonetheless. I look forward to developing other media platforms in the future and hope that fans will continue to support."

Despite never having thrown a punch herself, can O'Neal really claim innocence when she's the money-making mastermind behind it all?

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