Single and ready to mingle! Nia Long may not be ready to settle down following her split from Ime Udoka — but that doesn’t mean she isn’t in the mood for a little romance.
“Oh God, I’m not ready for a serious relationship. My mind is not even there at all,” Long, 52, told The Cut in an interview published on Friday, February 10. “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.”
The Love Jones star has been single since December 2022, when she and the Boston Celtics coach, 45, called off their engagement. The duo’s rep said in a statement at the time that Long and Udoka were no longer together but “remain fully committed to coparenting” their 11-year-old son Kez. (Long also shares son Massai Zhivago Dorsey II with Massai Z. Dorsey.)
News broke in September 2022 that Udoka allegedly cheated on Long with an NBA staffer. After the scandal came to light, the Celtics issued the former basketball player a year-long suspension.
“I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision,” Udoka said in a statement at the time while apologizing for his actions. “Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”
Long, meanwhile, opened up about the fallout between her and the Oregon native — and the effect it’s had 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,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in December 2022. “[Kez] still has moments where it’s not easy for him. … 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.”
Beyond taking care of Kez, Long is focused on her career — and her own self-care. “I have a couple of passion projects I want to get off the ground,” she shared with The Cut on Friday. “I want to go to Bali for a month, relax, breathe, and do yoga.”
Last month, however, Long revealed during an episode of The Drew Barrymore Show that she has her “eye on one person” when it comes to dating, but wouldn’t say who.
That same week, the New York native stepped out onto the red carpet with Omarian (real name Omari Ishmael Grandberry) at the You People premiere in Los Angeles. The twosome’s appearance immediately sparked romance speculation, but the Best Man alum quickly took to social media to shut down the rumors.
“Everybody simmer down… I’m single AF ,” Long wrote via Instagram at the time, replying to The Shade Room’s post about the speculation.