Nia Long Thanks Fans for ‘Outpouring of Support’ Following Fiance Ime Udoka’s Suspension Amid Alleged Affair

usmagazine.com:

Breaking her silence. Nia Long thanked fans for their support shortly after her fiancé, Ime Udoka, was suspended from the Boston Celtics following his alleged affair.“The outpouring love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me,” the Best Man star, 51, said in a statement to Us Weekly on Friday, September 23. “I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events.

Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children.”Long’s comments come one day after Udoka, 45, received a year-long suspension from the NBA after news broke that the Boston Celtics head coach allegedly had an affair with another member of the organization. “The Boston Celtics announced today that the team has suspended Head Coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season for violations of team policies,” the team announced in an official press release on Thursday, September 22, per USA Today. “A decision about his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date.

The suspension takes effect immediately.”The Oregon native, for his part, apologized to “our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family” in a statement of his own. “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision,” Udoka continued. “Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”The former basketball player — who has been in a relationship with Long since 2010 — reportedly had an “intimate and consensual relationship with a female member” of the team’s staff,  according to a report by The Athletic.