Veteran actress Nia Long recently said she’s ‘thankful’ for ‘new places and spaces’ following her fiancé Ime Udoka’s cheating scandal.
Nia shared her sentiments in a now-deleted photo of an empty Black and white kitchen via Instagram.
“Thankful for the gift of new places and spaces,” she wrote in the post’s caption next to a red heart emoji.
Her vague IG post arrived just months after Ime was suspended from his post as the Boston Celtics’ head coach due to infidelity allegations. Although the alleged affair was reportedly consensual, the then-unidentified staffer accused him of making “unwanted comments towards her.” The alleged mistress was later revealed to be Celtics service manager Kathleen Nimmo Lynch–a white Mormon woman with two children and a husband–who reportedly even arranged Nia’s travel plans for away games and the Boston move.
The 52-year-old actress hasn’t said much since, as she’s kept quiet throughout the controversy. However, her ex, Massai Z. Dorsey, said she would stick by Ime’s side despite the cheating scandal.
“We talk as a family, and it’s all about unconditional love, and that’s what she’s giving him,” Dorsey shared. “We’re sticking by him 100 percent. Ime made a mistake. Every man needs another chance. Like the Bible says, the flesh is weak. He’s not a bad guy. Hopefully, he’s learned from this.”
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics hired an independent law firm to investigate the suspended head coach’s alleged affair. The firm eventually determined that he “used crude language in his dialogue” with the female subordinate “prior to the start of” their alleged affair.” It also found that he used language “, especially concerning coming from a workplace superior.”
Amidst the controversy, News Onyx reported, Ime had still been getting offers, including a deal with the Brooklyn Nets. The team was reportedly optimistic about finalizing the contract to hire him as its official head coach but named Jacques Vaughn as the new coach in November.