Nia Long Says She & Ex-Fiancé Ime Udoka Have Found “Peace” After Highly Publicized Split

Nia Long Says She & Ex-Fiancé Ime Udoka Have Found “Peace” After Highly Publicized Split

Nia Long is reflecting on where things stand with her ex-fiancé, former NBA coach Ime Udoka, after their highly public split.

“This summer, I traveled with my youngest son [Kez] and my ex, Ime. We had a great time,” Long told the Cut. “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.”

The actress shared that their progress has come from focusing on family over drama. “The most important gift you can give your kids is to heal your trauma,” she said. “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.”

Even with that growth, Long admitted there’s still work to do. “There’s still healing to be done and understanding to be had,” she explained, adding that she’s no longer carrying bitterness from the past. “Maybe one day I’ll circle back to myself … but I’m not going to carry burdensome energy with me because that just transfers to my children.”

Her message was simple: the peace she’s found comes from choosing grace, healing, and family first.