Family forever. Though Nia Long and fiancé Ime Udoka’s own relationship hit a rough patch in September 2022, the Best Man star will forever be committed to her sons.
“The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me,” the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum told Us Weekly in late September, two days after news broke that the Boston Celtics head coach allegedly had an affair with a colleague in the NBA and was subsequently suspended for the 2022-2023 season.
“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, who shares son Massai, born in 2001, with ex Massai Z. Dorsey, and son Kez, born in 2011, with Udoka, added.
Following his suspension, the former assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets — who has been in a relationship with Long since 2010 — issued a statement apologizing to “our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family” for “putting [them] in this difficult situation.”
In their own statement, the Celtics declared that Udoka’s suspension was due to “violations of team policies” — which allegedly occurred when having a purported “intimate and consensual relationship with a female member” of the team’s staff, according to a report published by The Athletic.
The sports professional and the Big Momma’s House actress got engaged in 2015, though Long has been candid about her thoughts on eventually walking down the aisle — or not, revealing on Essence’s “Yes, Girl!” podcast in 2020, “I don’t know that I need [marriage] to feel like I’m in a partnership that’s working.”
As for her relationship with her children, the mom of two can’t get enough of her kids. “I love my boys. They are the light of my life,” the actress told Rachael Ray in 2017. “They are amazing.”
Long got emotional while adding, “They make me a better woman. Everything I do is for them. … I just want them to have a great life and I want them to respect women and to love women,” joking, “I’m gonna cry now.”
The Fatal Affair star frequently shares sweet photos with her kids on social media, whether they’re celebrating a big life moment together or simply hanging out and selfie-ing.
Keep scrolling to see Long’s family album with Udoka and her sons:
