Nia Long, Wife Of Ime Udoka, Talks Scandal And Slams Celtics
Actress and wife of embattled NBA coach Ime Udoka, Nia Long, has opened up to The Hollywood Reporter in a new, wide-ranging interview.
Long talked about being more selective about her roles and the projects she worked on, but also touched on her personal life, which has been in the spotlight over the last couple of months.
The actress, whose stellar acting career has seen her appearing in films like Boyz n the Hood and the Best Man franchise, talked about how she has been dealing with the cheating scandal that lead to Udoka getting a one-year suspension.
In the interview Long revealed that she was in the process of moving from Boston to Los Angeles with her kids. However, she was mum about the status of her relationship with Udoka.
“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,” she said. Long has one son from a previous relationship, and another son with Udoka.
Long went on to discuss the media circus that followed after the scandal broke.
“I literally felt like my heart had jumped out of my body,” she said about the media attention focused on her and her family.
“And then 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.”
Long and Udoka started dating in 2009 and were married in 2015. She did not give an update on the status of their relationship in her latest interview. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/WireImage)
Long Had Harsh Words For The Celtics
Long talked about the moment the scandal hit the news cycle. She also had some harsh words for the way the Celtics organization handled it.
“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,” she said. The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Long took her son out of school once the news had gone public.
“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 also talked about how the immediate aftermath of the scandal she walked off the set of a film she was working on, something she had never done before.
As for her husband, his coaching future remains up in the air. After being suspended by the Celtics, Udoka was nearly hired as the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. That fell through, and the team hired Jacque Vaughn.
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