In a new interview, the 'You People' star criticizes the basketball team's decision to make her 'family business public' when she and her then-fiance could've 'handled [it] internally.'
- Feb 11, 2023
AceShowbiz - Nia Long would've preferred to keep Ime Udoka's affair out of the public eye. The actress, who broke up with the former Boston Celtics head coach after his secret relationship with a female co-worker was revealed last year, blasted the team's decision to expose the cheating scandal.
"The Celtics made a choice to make my family business public, and I don't understand why," she told The Cut. "It could've all been handled internally. I do understand why, but I can't talk about it. Maybe one day I will. You know, fear drives stupidity, and I'll leave that right there. I've learned that I'm stronger than I ever thought I was."
Noting that her son Kez, whom she shares with her ex Ime, is "having a really tough time" with the attention to her personal life, Nia said her 11-year-old child is her "only focus" at the moment. "I'm sure I have some things that I'm suppressing, but I have to do that to take care of him first," she explained. "That's the giving. It's natural. I'm sure I'll have to circle back with myself several times to reconcile things. But the one thing I'm trying not to harbor is anger."
The 52-year-old actress went on to admit that she's reluctant to talk about it, "because it's personal and I'm still figuring it out." She added, "I'm still going, 'Wait, did this really happen?' Because, you know, you're with someone for 12, 13 years, you think you know them."
Thankfully, Nia received a lot of support and she's grateful for that. "It saved my mental well-being because I felt uplifted by the community in a way that felt like my family was checking in and making sure I was okay," the "You People" star shared. "And that, I appreciated. I have that for people like [Beyonce Knowles]. I look at her, and I'm so proud of her because I know how difficult it is to sustain and manage everything she has in her life. My life is probably a smaller version of that."
When asked about dating again, Nia said she's ready to mingle, but not ready to settle down anytime soon. "Oh God, I'm not ready for a serious relationship. My mind is not even there at all," she admitted in the interview published on Friday, February 10. "I want to go out and have amazing, important, deep, thoughtful conversations. I want to travel. I want to laugh. I want to cook with my kids and listen to music. I want a good glass of wine. I want a good goodnight kiss. Everything else will have to show itself as being that. I'm just trying to enjoy the moment."
