Nia Long has been in the limelight for decades, yet she always managed to keep her personal life under the radar. With that in mind, the recent allegations involving her fiancé, Ime Udoka, being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a colleague, has brought more attention to her personal life than she’d probably like. But the star is handling things in stride based on the way she handled an interaction with paparazzi in Los Angeles recently.
The actress was seen in public for the first time since news broke, approached by a TMZ photographer while out with her son Kez and asked how she’s feeling about everything that’s happened. Long responded, “I don’t have any comment right now, I’m sorry.” As a follow-up, she was asked if they were working things out. Long responded to the question with laughter.
The news about Udoka’s conduct broke in late September, as he was suspended from his role as the coach of the Boston Celtics for the upcoming 2022-2023 season because of his actions. This came as a shock to many because aside from the cheating allegations, in his first year coaching the team, he helped usher the Celtics into the NBA finals in May — the first time since 2010.
This was a moment The Best Man actress celebrated publicly, posting a video on Twitter of her cheering her fiancé and his team on.
Considering their relationship seemed stronger than ever, with the star recently relocating to Boston, Long was reportedly blindsided. She did, however, respond to the media frenzy in a short statement, asking for privacy during what is understandably a hard time.
“The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me. I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children,” Long stated.
The woman Udoka allegedly cheated with is said to have handled team-related travel and also helped move Long and the couple’s son, Kez, make the move to Boston. Long and Udoka have been in a long-term relationship since 2010 and engaged since 2015.
We hope Long continues to receive the support she needs right now and that she and Udoka can continue to co-parent in a positive way, whether they choose to work through their issues or not.