Nia Long seeking full custody of the son she shares with Ime Udoka
Amid Udoka’s cheating scandal, the pair split after 13 years together in December.
Nia Long is seeking full custody of her son Kez, 11, whom she shares with her ex, Houston Rockets head coach, Ime Udoka.
According to documents obtained by “Entertainment Tonight,” the actress filed the petition in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Aug. 14 requesting that Udoka be relegated to “reasonable visitation” that is “consistent with the child’s best interest.”
ET reports that Udoka not responded to the petition, and the judge has not ruled on the matter.
The petition comes eight months after the “You People” star and Udoka ended their 13-year relationship after cheating allegations arose surrounding Udoka and a female co-worker within the Boston Celtics organization. At the time, Udoka was head coach for the Celtics and, as a result, was suspended for the 2022-23 season before being fired.
Udoka apologized to his family, fans players and the Celtic organization in a statement shared with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, in which he acknowledged disappointing all of them.
“I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation,” he said, “and I accept the team’s decision.”
After the allegations about Udoka became public, Long made a statement to People to thank her community and family for supporting her.
Long and Udoka began dating in 2009 and welcomed Kez in 2011. In 2015, the couple became engaged. Long has a second son, Massai Zhivago Dorsey II, 22, whom she shares with ex-fiancé, actor Massai Dorsey. Until her split with Udoka, Long had rarely been the center of public drama.
Reflecting on her life and the new attention her personal life has been receiving since her breakup with Udoka, the “Best Man” franchise actress 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.”
While she told The Cut she wasn’t harboring anger and that it wasn’t hard to talk about the drama, she said, “I just don’t wanna talk about it because it’s personal, and I’m still figuring it out.”
The Cut asked the star about the many men making public appeals for her affection, but Long said she wasn’t ready for a serious relationship.
“My mind is not even there at all,” she said. “I want to go out and have amazing, important, deep, thoughtful conversations. I want to travel. I want to laugh. I want to cook with my kids and listen to music. I want a good glass of wine. I want a good, goodnight kiss. Everything else will have to show itself as being that. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.”
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