Nia Long Draws the Line on Coparenting With Ex Ime Udoka

Nia Long just gave a surprisingly upbeat update on life after the mess. In a new Playboy interview that ran Monday, April 13, the 55-year-old actress says coparenting with ex-fiancé Ime Udoka is not only civil — it is, in her words, kind of ideal. Yes, we are talking about the same ex who flamed out with the Celtics in 2022. Stay with me.

Where things stand now

Long says she and Udoka, 48, have settled into a groove while raising their 14-year-old son, Kez. The vibe: grown-ups who know their lanes. They take family trips, go on vacations, even sneak in the occasional dinner. Then they split off and live their separate lives. Boundaries exist, cooperation is strong, and the kid stays the priority.

'Really, I make it work. I am not giving anyone else the credit.'

She also has a 25-year-old son, Massai II, with ex Massai Z. Dorsey, and she describes both co-parent relationships as healthy. No romance, no drama, just parents who can share family time when it makes sense and cheer each other on from their own corners. She frames it like this: adults get to design the family dynamic they want, and the kids sit at the center.

The backstory (and why this is notable)

If that sounds surprisingly smooth, it is — especially considering how bumpy things got not long ago. Here is the quick timeline that connects all those dots:

• 1999: Long meets actor Massai Z. Dorsey on NBC's 'Third Watch.' They get engaged, then split in 2001 after about 10 months.
• 2000: Their son, Massai II, is born. On Mother ’s Day 2021, Long wrote on Instagram that his birth was easy and quick, that it changed her life, and she thanked God and her ancestors for the privilege of becoming a mom.
• 2010: Long starts dating then-NBA player Ime Udoka.
• November 2011: Kez is born. Doctors had warned she might struggle to conceive again; during the pregnancy she told Ebony she had prayed for this baby.
• 2015: Long and Udoka get engaged.
• 2022: While Udoka is head coach of the Boston Celtics, he has an affair with a female staff member. He is suspended for the 2022–23 season amid an internal investigation and ultimately not reinstated. Long has since said the relationship had been rocky for a long time. She told The Hollywood Reporter she headed home to prioritize their son, who was having a tough time.
• 2023: Udoka apologizes publicly and becomes head coach of the Houston Rockets. That August, Long files for legal and physical custody of Kez, alleging he had failed to support their son. A judge later grants her sole physical custody, with reasonable visitation for Udoka, while they continue to share joint legal custody.

So what does 'good place' look like?

According to Long, it looks like a functional little village: she and both fathers can call each other when the boys need something, everyone keeps their boundaries, and nobody has to pretend they are still a couple to show up as a family. They can take vacations, do a dinner, enjoy the night, then say: ok, bye, have fun, talk later. And yes, she is clear about who keeps that train on the tracks — her.