Source: Bruce Glikas / Contributor / Getty
Nia Long isn’t happy with how the Boston Celtics have been handling the suspension of her longtime partner Ime Udoka following his controversial cheating scandal.
Long, 52, opened up about the difficult situation in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter this week, noting how her “heart jumped out of her body” when Udoka was barred from the Celtics for his alleged affair with a female staffer from the franchise in September.
The news has been tough on Nia Long and Udoka’s son
The Fatal Affair actress said she was upset about how the team brought their private matter into the spotlight. According to the New York native, the news has been particularly tough on her and Udoka’s 11-year-old son Kez who she has since taken out of school due to the scandal.
“I think the most heartbreaking thing about all of this was seeing my son’s face when the Boston Celtics organization decided to make a very private situation public,” Long said. “It was devastating, and it still is. He still has moments where it’s not easy for him. If you’re in the business of protecting women — I’m sorry, no one from the Celtics organization has even called to see if I’m OK, to see if my children are OK. It’s very disappointing.”
Long and Udoka welcomed their son Kez Sunday Udoka in 2011. The Best Man star also has another son, 21-year-old Massai Dorsey II, from a previous relationship with actor Massai Dorsey.
Long shares what she has learned from the ongoing scandal
During the interview, Long did not offer details about her current relationship status with Udoka, but the mother of two said she was blown away by the love and support fans have shown since the news broke.
“What I found was this tribe of women and men who were standing up for me in a way that felt like I was in this bubble of protection, and that was very comforting,” she added. Long also confirmed to THR that she and her sons would be moving back to Los Angeles from Boston.
As MADAMENOIRE previously reported, Udoka became the head coach of the Celtics in 2021 after serving as an assistant coach for the New York Nets. He helped the team win an NBA Final in June, but his career came under criticism a few months later in September when he was barred from the team for engaging in a consensual relationship with a female staffer. During the NBA’s investigation, the agency found that Udoka used “crude language” while speaking to the unidentified woman before their inappropriate workplace relationship took place.
Officials from the Celtics said the 45-year-old’s alleged affair violated the NBA’s code of conduct. Udoka later apologized for the scandal, telling ESPN’s Malika Andrews in a statement:
“I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down,” he said. “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision.”
“Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”
