Nia Long slammed the Boston Celtics organization for not reaching out after publicizing the Ime Udoka scandal, which she believed should’ve been private.

An independent law firm’s investigation of the Celtics discovered several violations of team policies, including Udoka’s affair with a female subordinate. In September, the organization organized a press conference announcing the former head coach’s suspension from the 2022-2023 season. The organization’s initial actions left a bad taste in the Love Jones actress’ mouth. Instead of contacting the ones impacted by Udoka’s actions, the Celtics addressed the public to save their reputation.

Long focused on her family, specifically her 11-year-old son, Kez, taking him out of school immediately after the infidelity news went public. Despite the constant requests for comments on the situation with her husband, Long remained concerned with the family and only asked the public to respect her family’s privacy.

“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 public situation public,” Long said in her interview with the Hollywood Reporter. “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 was quiet when the news of Udoka’s transgressions were fairly new. Many people hopped into her comments section and inbox, sending her love and support. While she many not have responded to everyone’s heartwarming messages, Long noticed and appreciated them, claiming it made her feel comforted and supported.

“I literally felt like my heart had jumped out of my body,” she recalled once the news hit social media and publication. “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.”

Kez had a difficult time after learning about his father’s actions, prompting the actress to move her sons, Kez and 22-year-old Massai, from Boston to Los Angeles. Despite the Celtics not checking up on Long or her sons, Long prioritized her sons’ well-being and had amazing girlfriends to help her through a difficult part of her life. The actress also said that a couple of her Best Man

castmates supported her as well. Long reunited with her castmates for the last installment of the series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, coming on Dec. 22.

With the opportunity to focus on herself amid the drama with Udoka, Long is focusing on directing and making films that authentically displays Black culture.