NEWSStaying Strong! Nia Long Shares Sweet Snapshot With Her Sons Following Ime Udoka Cheating Scandal
Nia Long is putting on a happy face for her kids. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air actress took to Instagram to share a sweet snapshot of herself and her two sons following her fiancé Ime Udoka's headline-making cheating scandal.
The Celtics coach was suspended for one year after he was caught having an affair with a subordinate female employee. She was later identified as Celtics' team service manager Kathleen Nimmo Lynch.
Long was all smiles as she posed alongside her two boys — Massai Zhivago Dorsey II, 21, who she shares with her ex Massai Z. Dorsey, and Kez Sunday, 10, who she shares with Udoka — in the adorable selfie.
This comes nearly two weeks after the 51-year-old was spotted by paparazzi in Los Angeles sans her engagement ring. The mom-of-two declined to comment on the scandal, but when asked if she was "working things out" with her fiancé, she laughed before quickly making her way back to her car.
Despite refusing to confirm whether she was still in a relationship with Udoka following his affair, the Big Momma's House actress addressed the situation in a statement shared in late September.
"The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me," Long said. "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.
Udoka's affair was discovered after Lynch's husband overheard a private conversation between her and the disgraced Celtics coach on their doorbell camera.
Although retired basketball player Matt Barnes initially defended Udoka on social media, explaining that infidelity was common in the world of professional sports, he later deleted the post and replaced it with a video hinting that the situation was much worse than he realized.
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"Without knowing all the facts, I spoke on Ime Udoka's defense, and after finding out the facts after I spoke, I erased what I posted because this situation in Boston is deep, it's messy, it's 100 times uglier than any of us thought," Barnes explained at the time.
"Some things happened that I can't condone," he continued. "That was the reason why I erased my post last night, because after I posted it, I got a call from someone who had all the details, and s**t is deep."
Prior to the affair, Long and Udoka had been together for more than 12 years.
