What did actress Nia Long say about her former fiancé Ime Udoka and the Boston Celtics?

While there was intense publicity surrounding the details of the former Celtics coach’s inappropriate conduct with a co-worker, there is one aspect of the scenario that was not addressed: the effect on his family.

Actress Nia Long breaks silence on fiancé Ime Udoka’s Celtics scandal

According to recent reports, Nia Long made it clear that the manner in which the Boston Celtics organization handled the controversy and subsequent suspension of her longtime fiancé and former head coach Ime Udoka, was “very disappointing.” Speaking in a recent interview, the 52-year-old actress opened up about the fallout, though she did not comment on Udoka himself or the conduct that led to his suspension. Long disclosed that her family was blindsided when the news broke.

“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,” Long said. “It was devastating, and it still is.”

A look back at the Ime Udoka scandal

If you missed it, back in September, the Boston Celtics announced that Udoka was going to be suspended for the entire 2022-23 season for “violations of team policies.” Though the franchise declined to offer details on what those violations were, sources indicated that Udoka had an inappropriate relationship with a female member of the Celtics staff. It is understood that the individual in question requested anonymity on the grounds that they were not authorized to speak about the sensitive nature of the topic. Where Long and Udoka are concerned, they got engaged in 2015 following a six-year relationship and share an 11-year-old son named Kez. Indeed, Long disclosed that her first action following the Celtics’ press conference was to pick up her son from school.

“I literally felt like my heart had jumped out of my body,” Long recalled. “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.” Long also went on to say that since the press conference and the intense speculation that has followed, the Celtics organization has had no contact with her. “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.” Interestingly, the “Friday” star did speak of the support she received from many others. “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,” she said.

Nia Long’s plan for the future

As she faces the reality of what lies ahead, Long explained that she’s currently in the process of moving from Boston to Los Angeles with Kez and her 22-year-old son Massai, who she has from a previous relationship. “2023 is like the year of new beginnings for me,” she said. “I couldn’t be more excited.” Where Udoka himself is concerned, the former Celtics coach has largely stayed out of public view since news of the scandal broke. While there was speculation that he would be named as the new Brooklyn Nets coach, the team ultimately named Jacque Vaughn as the interim head coach. Most recently the Celtics who now sit on an 18-4 record - the best in the NBA - named Joe Mazzulla as the new full-time coach of the team.