Nia Long Says She and Ex Ime Udoka Are ‘Good’ and Focused on Co-Parenting Son

Nia Long has revealed she and ex Ime Udoka have found peace and are moving forward in order to co-parent their son.

In her October/November 2025 cover story for The Cut, the actor spoke about co-parenting with Udoka, sharing that the two have reached a place of “peace and understanding” after their public breakup.

“This summer, I traveled with my youngest son [Kez] and my ex, Ime. We had a great time,” she told the publication. “It was really beautiful because we’ve had a very public journey that has found its way to peace and understanding. And there’s a lot of mutual respect that we have for each other.”

She continued: “The most important gift you can give your kids is to heal your trauma. I don’t talk much about my personal life ’cause it’s no one’s business, but every now and then people speculate things on social media and it’s like me and Coach are good. I hope he wins. He deserves to win. He’s really great at what he does. We can have experiences with our son and make him the priority.”

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Despite the progress, Long acknowledged that “there’s still healing to be done and understanding to be had,” but she’s focused on letting go of the past.

“I’m not going to carry burdensome energy with me because that just transfers to my children and it transfers to everything else in my life,” she noted. “I’m proud of myself. I think we’re proud of each other as the parents of Kez, that we’re able to make this an annual thing and commit to these last sweet years of him being in grade school and high school before he goes off to college. We’re both going to be standing there watching him graduate.

“I talk about my kids a lot because they take up so much space in my life and in my heart. Everything I do is for them. I’m not a perfect mother. I’ve made many mistakes … My kids have seen me go through it. But that’s the type of mother I am. If I’m pissed, everyone knows. If I’m happy, everyone knows. Protect the innocence of your children, but allow them to see the truth in every situation.”

The backdrop to her current co-parenting relationship is the fallout from Udoka’s suspension as head coach of the Boston Celtics in Sept. 2022 for violating team policies due to an intimate relationship with a female staffer. At the time, Long shared her anger over how publicly the situation was handled, particularly its effect on their son.

“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,” Long said in a statement shared that December. “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 and Udoka began dating in 2010, welcomed Kez in 2011, and became engaged in 2015. Their relationship ended in December 2022.

In August 2023, Long filed for primary custody of their son, citing lack of support from Udoka. The following January, they reached a settlement to share custody, with Udoka reportedly agreeing to pay $32,500 per month in child support.