Nia Long files for full custody of the son she shares with Ime Udoka

Nia Long has been through this over the past yr, but she appears to be handling it gracefully and specializing in motherhood. Speaking of which, the mother of two has filed for full custody of her son Kez, whom she shares with ex-fiancé Ime Udoka. She also asked that the newly appointed Houston Rockets basketball coach be granted visitation rights. This follows the former NBA player’s 2022 cheating scandal.

The petition, filed by celebrity lawyer Samantha Spector, seeks to “establish a parental relationship” on condition that the first couple never officially married, despite being engaged for years. Long also demands that Udoka cover all legal fees.

To briefly recap: Udoka was suspended from coaching and ultimately fired by the Celtics after engaging in a consensual but inappropriate relationship with a member of the team’s staff. The actress initially broke her silence, thanking fans for their love and support. She then shared how “devastating” the ordeal was for her and Kez.

“I think the most heartbreaking thing of all was seeing my son’s face when the Boston Celtics organization decided to go public with a very private situation,” Long said . “It was devastating and it still is. There are still moments when it’s not easy for him. If you’re in the business of protecting women, I’m sorry, no one from the Celtics organization even called to check if I was okay or if my kids were okay. It’s very disappointing.”

The 52-year-old last spoke openly about the cheating scandal in January during an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment.

“I have had some truly devastating moments in my life over the last few months. And I just had to say, “It’s okay.” You’ll get back up and… oh my God. I’m going to cry,” she said, fanning her face with her hands to keep from crying. “You will get back up and keep going.”

Udoka and the actress began dating in 2010, and in 2011, their only child, Kez, was born. Long also has one other son named Massai from her previous relationship with actor Massai Z. Dorsey.

Custody battles will be unpleasant, but we hope the whole lot goes easily for the family and that they’ll recuperate.

Long was never in favor of marriage and publicly expressed his position. In this case, possibly the ideal solution can be for them to not formally marry in order that the family doesn’t should undergo an advanced divorce. We wish all parties good luck on this journey.