Nia Long’s fiance’s cheating scandal is back in the headlines this week after she gave the world confirmation that she has separated rom Ime Udoka. The last few months have been interesting for the pair, who have stayed mostly quiet while they tried to sort through the fallout of their split. Now back in the press for the upcoming Best Man: The Final Chapters series, Long is speaking more candidly about how she has been managing it all and her plans going forward.
Nia Long and her fiance, Ime Udoka’s relationship began over a decade ago when the two met in Boston while working. In the time since, they welcomed their son, got engaged, and have remained mostly to themselves until his cheating scandal hit the net. While the organization was sure to protect the woman involved in the scandal, Long and her family were free game and in all the headlines for weeks. Nia blasted the Celtics organization in her first major interview following the news.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Long said she did not understand how the Boston Celtics were in the business of “protecting women” but had no regard for her or her family. Nia has been prioritizing her children since the scandal broke and said she had to remove her son Kez from school due to how it was all affecting him. “I went home to be with my son, and that was what was most important to me because he was not having an easy time,” Nia said in the interview. She accused the team of making a private matter public and never checking on her or her son.
The silver lining of it all has been the overwhelming amount of support in Nia Long’s favor. The actress has a really strong support system of fans and fellow actors who have swooped in to love on her through this trying time. Sports newscaster Stephen A. Smith defended her recently on the Best Man red carpet, stating that men in sports are unfortunately involved in a lot of scandals but few are publicized like this. “I wouldn’t blame anybody for feeling that way. It was never something that should have been publicized.”
During the same interview, ET also caught up with Nia, who agrees that things should have been handled privately. She opens up about how difficult it has been for her to manage it all while still trying to work and be a mother. Furthermore, she is trying to “find the humanity in all of it.” She called the Celtics irresponsible and said no one considered her or her children in all of this.
Fans in the comments debated that Nia Long’s frustration is misplaced and should be solely on her fiance Ime. However, many agree with Nia that she should have been allowed to deal with this privately. “For the ppl in the comments saying she needs to place the blame on her fiancé [and] what he did to their family, I’m sure she did that” said one person. Another said, “but it still doesn’t excuse the fact that the organization didn’t take her feelings in accountability.”
Nia Long’s former fiance’ Ime Udoka has yet to speak publicly about the cheating scandal or the loss of his family relationship.
