Nia Long is opening up about finding peace in co-parenting with her ex-fiancé, Ime Udoka, three years after the cheating scandal that ended their engagement. The actress revealed that they are now in a “beautiful” place, prioritizing their son Kez and maintaining mutual respect.
A Journey to Peace and Understanding
In a recent interview with The Cut, Long shared that she traveled with her youngest son, Kez, and Udoka this past summer, describing the experience as “really beautiful.” She explained, “We’ve had a very public journey that has found its way to peace and understanding. And there’s a lot of mutual respect that we have for each other.” This statement highlights a significant emotional journey for Long, who admitted to having “a lot of negative feelings to overcome.”
Long emphasized the importance of healing personal trauma for the sake of her children. “The most important gift you can give your kids is to heal your trauma,” she stated. While she generally keeps her personal life private, she addressed social media speculation, clarifying, “me and Coach are good. I hope he wins. He deserves to win. He’s really great at what he does. We can have experiences with our son and make him the priority.”
Prioritizing Their Son’s Well-being
Long and Udoka, who met in 2010 and welcomed their son Kez in 2011, ended their relationship after news broke of Udoka’s affair with a Boston Celtics staff member. Udoka was subsequently suspended and fired from his coaching position. Despite the public nature of their past difficulties, Long is focused on ensuring a positive environment for Kez. “I’m not going to carry burdensome energy with me because that just transfers to my children and it transfers to everything else in my life,” she explained.
She expressed pride in their ability to make co-parenting an “annual thing,” committing to cherishing these “last sweet years” before Kez enters college. Both Long and Udoka plan to be present at their son’s future milestones, including graduations.
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