Nia Long opened up about how she felt the Boston Celtics handled the aftermath of her fiancé Ime Udoka’s suspension following the news of an alleged consensual relationship he had with a female on his NBA team’s staff. The Fatal Affair star said she’s “very disappointed” that the Celtics organization hadn’t reached out to her or her family after the scandal exploded back in September, per her interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published on Thursday, Dec. 1.
“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,” she revealed. Nia shares her son Kez, 11, with Ime, and shares another son, 21-year-old Massai Dorsey II, with her ex, actor Massai Dorsey. “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 added.
The actress said she even took Kez out of school when his father’s alleged infidelity became known to the public. “It was devastating, and it still is,” Nia said, adding that her son “still has moments where it’s not easy for him.”
While she didn’t comment on the status of her and Ime’s relationship at the moment, Nia did reveal she is moving back to Los Angeles from Boston. Both of her sons are coming with her as well.
Ime was placed on a suspension by the Celtics for the entire 2022-2023 season after they claimed he had violated “team policies” in a statement released in late September. They added that Ime’s future with the team will be evaluated. After the news broke, Ime spoke out to ESPN. “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.”
Last year, when Ime was moved up to head coach after being an assistant for nine years, Nia spoke about how proud she was of her beau, whom she began dating in 2010 and got engaged to in 2016. “He’s one of the most disciplined people I know. He’s worked really hard for this and now he’s got to just get to work with his players and do what he does best,” she told PopCulture.com at the time. “So, it’s an exciting time for our family to be able to sit in the stands.”