A unique love story. Nia Long has been vocal about not wanting to get married despite her engagement to fiancé Ime Udoka.
The couple hit it off in 2010 after a mutual friend learned they were both in the Boston area at the same time. One year later, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum announced she was pregnant at 40.
“I was supposed to go to Ghana to do a film and that’s when I found out I was pregnant,” she told reporters at the BET Awards in June 2021. “I had a doctor’s appointment to get the yellow fever shot and they were like, ‘Miss Long, we can’t give you a shot.’”
When the actress learned she was expecting, she couldn’t contain her excitement. “I almost fainted. It was the best moment and the sweetest surprise ever,” she gushed.
Long became a mother for the first time in 2000 when she welcomed son Massai with ex Massai Z. Dorsey. Her son with Udoka, Kez Sunday, arrived in November 2011, and Udoka popped the question four years later.
Before getting engaged, Long had been candid about not needing to get married to feel fulfilled in her personal life. “I don’t feel less loved or less loving because I’m not married,” she told Essence in August 2012. “I worked hard to have the career I wanted, but I’ve also been deliberate about my personal life. None of this is a mistake.”
After the retired athlete got down on one knee, Long’s mindset about marriage didn’t seem to change. “We are taking our time,” she told TMZ Sports in 2015 when asked whether the twosome had set a wedding date.
While they haven’t yet walked down the aisle, Udoka and the Boyz n the Hood star have been each other’s biggest supporters. When the Oregon native was named head coach of the Boston Celtics in 2021, Long said she would “never forget” the special moment. “I was anxious. He’s always calm, like, totally calm,” she recalled in an October 2021 interview. “[He] just smiled and shook his head in the yes position. And I ran down the hall and jumped on him. And I think I almost, probably, broke his back.”
The NAACP Image Award winner continued to cheer on her man throughout the NBA season, but things took a turn for the couple in September 2022 when Udoka was reportedly accused of “improper” conduct. The former New Jersey Nets player allegedly had an “intimate and consensual relationship with a female member,” per The Athletic, and faced a possible suspension from the league for one year. Neither Udoka nor Long immediately commented on the allegations.
Scroll down to look back at the pair’s relationship timeline:
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Nia Long and Fiance Ime Udoka’s Relationship Timeline: From Parenthood to Affair Allegations
A unique love story. Nia Long has been vocal about not wanting to get married despite her engagement to fiancé Ime Udoka. The couple hit it off in 2010 after a mutual friend learned they were both in the Boston area at the same time. One year later, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum announced she was pregnant at 40. “I was supposed to go to Ghana to do a film and that’s when I found out I was pregnant,” she told reporters at the BET Awards in June 2021. “I had a doctor’s appointment to get the yellow fever shot and they were like, ‘Miss Long, we can’t give you a shot.'” When the actress learned she was expecting, she couldn’t contain her excitement. “I almost fainted. It was the best moment and the sweetest surprise ever,” she gushed. Long became a mother for the first time in 2000 when she welcomed son Massai with ex Massai Z. Dorsey. Her son with Udoka, Kez Sunday, arrived in November 2011, and Udoka popped the question four years later. Before getting engaged, Long had been candid about not needing to get married to feel fulfilled in her personal life. “I don’t feel less loved or less loving because I’m not married,” she told Essence in August 2012. “I worked hard to have the career I wanted, but I’ve also been deliberate about my personal life. None of this is a mistake.” After the retired athlete got down on one knee, Long’s mindset about marriage didn’t seem to change. “We are taking our time,” she told TMZ Sports in 2015 when asked whether the twosome had set a wedding date. While they haven’t yet walked down the aisle, Udoka and the Boyz n the Hood star have been each other’s biggest supporters. When the Oregon native was named head coach of the Boston Celtics in 2021, Long said she would “never forget” the special moment. “I was anxious. He’s always calm, like, totally calm,” she recalled in an October 2021 interview. “[He] just smiled and shook his head in the yes position. And I ran down the hall and jumped on him. And I think I almost, probably, broke his back.” The NAACP Image Award winner continued to cheer on her man throughout the NBA season, but things took a turn for the couple in September 2022 when Udoka was reportedly accused of “improper” conduct. The former New Jersey Nets player allegedly had an “intimate and consensual relationship with a female member,” per The Athletic, and faced a possible suspension from the league for one year. Neither Udoka nor Long immediately commented on the allegations. Scroll down to look back at the pair’s relationship timeline:
Credit: Mediapunch/Shutterstock
2010
The pair sparked a romance after being introduced by a mutual friend in Boston. At the time, Long was filming a pilot for NBC and the Sacramento Kings star was playing against the Boston Celtics.
Credit: Courtesy of Nia Long/Instagram
2011
Long revealed her pregnancy in June 2011, welcoming son Kez that November. “I honestly asked God for this,” she told Ebony one month before giving birth, recalling that a doctor told her it might be “hard” to conceive in her 40s.
Credit: Amanda Schwab/Starpix/Shutterstock
2012
After expanding their family, the pair weren’t in a rush to become husband and wife. “Marriage is not a priority for me. I’m not saying I’ll never do it; It’s just not where we are as a family,” she told Essence, claiming that she had “never seen a marriage work” wholeheartedly. “I don’t feel less loved or less loving because I’m not married.”
Credit: YouTube
2013
“Going on the road and meeting up with Ime is the fun part,” the Fatal Affair actress said on the Breakfast Club of how she and her beau make time for their romance amid their busy schedules. “I feel like it keeps the relationship exciting. Also, it’s like a little mini vacation.”
Credit: Mediapunch/Shutterstock
2015
Us confirmed that the duo got engaged after five years together.
Credit: Courtesy of Nia Long/Twitter
2017
Long celebrated Thanksgiving with her family. “Thankful for him,” she tweeted alongside a selfie with her fiancé. “Together we learn, we love, we create. I hope all of you had a fantastic day of reflection and quality time with loved ones.”
Credit: Courtesy of Nia Long/Twitter
2019
The couple took Kez and Massai to Disneyland in honor of her eldest son’s high school graduation.
Credit: Tara Mays/Shutterstock
2020
“I understand the religious aspect of marriage. That is beautiful and it’s fantastical and it’s dreamy and it’s every girl’s fantasy to have that moment. But I don’t know that I need that,” Long explained on Essence‘s “Yes Girl” podcast. “Love is complicated … and then you start a marriage, which I’ve never been married. And there’s a reason for that because I don’t know that I need to say ‘I do’ to prove to you that I love you.”
Credit: YouTube
2021
Udoka was named head coach of the Boston Celtics after previously working for the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets. Long celebrated his accomplishment in June 2021, writing via Instagram, “Today you are officially the Head Coach of the Boston @celtics big love to the entire staff for the warm welcome. I am beyond proud of this man. Expect great things because that’s what he does.”
Credit: Mediapunch/Shutterstock
2022
The Athletic reported in September 2022 that Udoka allegedly had an “intimate and consensual relationship with a female [staff] member.” The supposed affair was a violation of the franchise’s code of conduct and the Boston Celtics announced shortly after the news broke that he had been suspended for the 2022-2023 NBA season. “A decision about his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date,” the team said in an official press release at the time. “The suspension takes effect immediately.”
Udoka subsequently released a statement public apologizing for his actions. “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.”
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2022
One day after Ukoda’s suspension was announced, Long broke her silence about the alleged affair. “The outpouring love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me,” she said in a statement to Us in September 2022. “I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children.”
Credit: MediaPunch/Shutterstock
December 2022
Long opened up about dealing with the scandal during an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“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,” the actress told the outlet. “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 organization has even called to see if I’m OK, to see if my children are OK. It’s very disappointing.”
Long, who picked Kez up from school early after news broke, noted that it “felt like my heart had jumped out of my body.” She added: “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.”
Credit: Mediapunch/Shutterstock
December 2022
A rep for the couple announced their split in December 2022, telling People that the two are “no longer together but remain fully committed to co-parenting their son [Kez].”
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