Nia Long says she’s in her “do not disturb period” following her split from Ime Udoka.
The “Best Man: The Final Chapters” star opened up a bit more about the aftermath of her former fiancé’s cheating scandal that left their 11-year-old son struggling and herself “trying not to harbor anger.”
Nia told The Cut:
My only focus right now is my youngest son ’cause he’s having a really tough time. I’m sure I have some things that I’m suppressing, but I have to do that to take care of him first.
That’s the giving. It’s natural. I’m sure I’ll have to circle back with myself several times to reconcile things.
But the one thing I’m trying not to harbor is anger.
Ime Udoka, who was head coach of the Boston Celtics, was suspended after he had an affair with a staff member in the team’s organization.
The Celtics organization fired shots at Ime by airing out his transgressions publicly, and unfortunately, Nia Long was caught by a stray.
It’s something I doubt she will ever forgive the Celtics for doing.
She told The Cut:
The Celtics made a choice to make my family business public, and I don’t understand why. It could’ve all been handled internally. I do understand why, but I can’t talk about it.
Maybe one day I will. You know, fear drives stupidity, and I’ll leave that right there. I’ve learned that I’m stronger than I ever thought I was.
I just don’t wanna talk about it because it’s personal and I’m still figuring it out.
I’m still going, Wait, did this really happen? Because, you know, you’re with someone for 12, 13 years, you think you know them.
The 52-year-old beauty went on to share how the outpouring of love from her community “saved her life.”
That saved my life. It saved my mental well-being because I felt uplifted by the community in a way that felt like my family was checking in and making sure I was okay. And that, I appreciated.
Nia shared that she has that same support and love for Beyoncé, who revealed JAY-Z‘s infidelities on her album, Lemonade.
I have that for people like Beyoncé.
I look at her, and I’m so proud of her because I know how difficult it is to sustain and manage everything she has in her life.
My life is probably a smaller version of that. Black women that are dynamic and famous and there to inspire are also required to be exceptional, and sometimes I just get tired of being strong.
That’s my biggest thing: I don’t want to have to be strong. I would like to just have an experience that’s pleasant.
But the difference comes down to race. Race matters and makes a difference in your experiences and the way people treat you, respect you, and regard you — and the way people protect you.
Malcolm X said the least protected person in America is the Black woman. That quote resonates big time in my life right now.
Read Nia Long’s full interview with The Cut.
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