A spokesperson for Nia Long told 'People' magazine that she and Ime Udoka 'remain fully committed to co-parenting their son [Kez]'. Photos: TNS
Nia Long and Ime Udoka have officially called it quits after the Boston Celtics suspended the basketball coach for having an improper relationship with a staff member.
On Wednesday, a representative for Long confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that the actress, 52, and Udoka, 45, have ended their relationship after nearly 13 years together. A spokesperson for Long also told People magazine that she and Udoka "remain fully committed to co-parenting their son [Kez]".
News of the breakup comes months after the Celtics suspended Udoka for the remainder of the 2022-23 basketball season for violating team policies. The head coach is rumoured to have had an affair with a member of the organisation.
"I want to apologise to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down," Udoka said at the time.
"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."
In a recent interview with the Hollywood Reporter, Long opened up about how the fallout has affected her and her 11-year-old son with Udoka. When the headlines surfaced in September, Long said she took Kez out of school and stayed home with him "because he was not having an easy time".
"I think the most heartbreaking thing about all of this was seeing my son's face when the Boston Celtics organisation decided to make a very private situation public," Long told THR.
"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 organisation has even called to see if I'm OK, to see if my children are OK. It's very disappointing."
After the NBA team made its announcement, Long received an outpouring of support from her devoted fans, who flooded social media with tweets shaming Udoka and uplifting the beloved Friday star.
"I literally felt like my heart had jumped out of my body," she told THR. "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 began dating in 2010 and got engaged in 2015. Despite their engagement, the couple had no wedding plans, and Long told Essence in 2020 that "marriage is not a priority". Long also shares a 22-year-old son, Massai, with Massai Z. Dorsey. – Los Angeles Times/Tribune News Service
