Nia Long appeared to throw shade with a cryptic post about “side chicks” and “midlife crisis” men.
In a brief message shared to her Instagram Story on Tuesday (August 26), the 54-year-old actress wrote, “Too much attention from a side chick makes a midlife crisis man think he's a king. Easy tiger, it's just a paper hat from the kids' table,” along with a sideways laughing emoji.
Back in September 2022, news broke that Ime Udoka, then head coach of the Boston Celtics and engaged to Long, had been suspended for violating team policies following an intimate relationship with a female staffer.
“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 of her son Kez 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, who had been with Udoka for 13 years, ended the relationship that December. The two began dating in 2010 and welcomed their son the following year. They got engaged in 2015 but never married.
Long went on to file for primary custody of Kez in August 2023, alleging that Udoka had not been providing sufficient support. By January 2024, they reached a settlement in which they agreed to share custody, with Udoka paying Long $32,500 a month in child support.