‘We Had a Great Time’: Nia Long Beams After Getaway with Ex-Fiancee Ime Udoka Years After Cheating Scandal Tore Their Family Apart
Nia Long is in a peaceful place with her former fiancé, Ime Udoka, three years after their public cheating scandal that destroyed their family.
Udoka was suspended from his role as the head coach of the Boston Celtics team after violating team policies by engaging in an intimate relationship with a female staffer, causing turmoil in his professional and romantic life. At the time, he and Long had been engaged for seven years and shared a now 13-year-old son named Kez.
Although they’ve parted ways, the “Love Jones” star says they’ve reached a point where they can comfortably share a housing space — and even take trips together.
In an interview with The Cut published on Oct. 9, Long revealed that she and Udoka took a summer trip with their son, Kez.
“This summer, I traveled with my youngest son and my ex, Ime. We had a great time. I’ve never walked that much in my life. But it was really beautiful because we’ve had a very public journey that has found its way to peace and understanding.”
The “Soul Food” star, known for steering clear of Hollywood scandals, previously expressed the “devastating” impact Udoka’s cheating scandal had on their son. She even had to once walk off the set of a film to pick up son up from school as the news of his dad’s infidelity and suspension hit the press.
Long was also “disappointed” with how quickly the Celtics organization turned their back on her. Udoka has since acknowledged his mistakes, and both parties are now moving on separately.
“There’s a lot of mutual respect that we have for each other,” Long explained. The most important gift you can give your kids is to heal your trauma.”
The 54-year-old acknowledged that she’s seen the speculation about the status of her relationship with Udoka. Although she typically keeps her personal life private, she assures her fans, “Me and Coach are good.”
Long’s latest remarks about her ex-fiancé strike a much more uplifting tone than before. Back in August, she shared a cryptic post on her Instagram Story that many assumed was directed at “Coach.
It read, “Too much attention from a side chick makes a midlife crisis man think he’s a king. Easy tiger, it’s just a paper hat from the kid’s table…”
At the time, social media users took jabs at Udoka and assumed the “Best Man” actress was still bitter about their sour split.
Long told The Cut, “If I’m pissed, everyone knows. If I’m happy, everyone knows.” But it seems she is now in a more positive space.
“I hope he wins. He deserves to win. He’s really great at what he does. We can have experiences with our son and make him the priority,” she said.
Continuing her “high road” approach, she added, “There’s still healing to be done and understanding to be had, but the past is the past. I’m not going to carry burdensome energy with me because that just transfers to my children and it transfers to everything else in my life. I’m proud of myself.”
Following their breakup in 2022, Long and Udoka entered a custody battle over their son but eventually reached a settlement in 2024. Under the agreement, Udoka will pay $32,000 a month in child support. They will share joint legal custody of Kez: Long has sole physical custody, while Udoka was granted reasonable visitation rights.
“I think we’re proud of each other as the parents of Kez, that we’re able to make this an annual thing and commit to these last sweet years of him being in grade school and high school before he goes off to college,” Long said. “We’re both going to be standing there watching him graduate.”
As an honest woman and mother whose admitted to her own mistakes in the past, Long noted that she has always allowed her kids to “see the truth in every situation.”
She said, “I’m not a perfect mother. I’ve made many mistakes … My kids have seen me go through it.”
Long also has a 24-year-old son named Massai Zhivago Dorsey II, whom she shares with her ex-fiancé, Massai Z. Dorsey.
In spite of the actress’ recent statement, some believe she and Udoka are back seeing each other romantically. But not everyone is convinced.
“They [sleeping together?],” asked one person on X, while another said, “Whoever ends up with Nia Long is so lucky.”
Nia Long has gotten what she wanted in her custody battle with Ime Udoka. She will be receiving $32,500 monthly as child support. pic.twitter.com/nQOPG90h5L
— Life Drama (@XViralNews7) January 23, 2024
Like Long, Udoka keeps his personal life extremely private. He doesn’t have an Instagram account, and it’s unclear whether either of them has moved on romantically.
Professionally, after serving a one-year suspension from the Celtics, Udoka was ultimately replaced by Joe Mazzulla, who had been an assistant coach since 2019 and was promoted to interim head coach following the scandal.
By April 2023, Udoka landed a new role as head coach of the Houston Rockets, a position he still holds today. As for Long, she is preparing for her role as Katharine Jackson in the upcoming “Michael” biopic, slated for release next year.