Marlon Wayans is currently facing backlash for his comments on Ime Udoka‘s cheating scandal.
The Boston Celtics head coach, who is engaged to Nia Long, made headlines last month after reportedly having an affair with the team‘s travel agent. Udoka was ultimately suspended for an entire season for violating the organization’s code of conduct. Since, no additional details regarding Udoka and Long’s current relationship status have been released to the public despite the couple of times the actress has spoken briefly to the media.
During an Oct. 2 interview on “Leah’s Lemonade,” when asked about Udoka’s situation, Wayans expressed that women early on have a distorted image of what love looks like.
He said at mark 28:40 of the interview, “We live in a society where women are taught that Prince Charming comes riding in a white horse and kisses Cinderella, and they live happily ever after. That’s the imagery that we have. People are human. You have to love people like water. We’re not solid objects. Love is not a solid object.”
Following that statement, the 50-year-old claimed that most married men cheat because they are not honest with themselves or their partners.
Wayans said, “You have so many men, married men that have these thirsts or have these extramarital affairs because they’re not being honest with themselves and transparent with their partner. You have to be man enough to be honest and if she doesn’t love you for your truth then you’re still honoring her and going ‘I get it and I wish you could love me for what I am.’ “
He also disclosed that he never married because he never wanted to “lie or cheat” on his significant other. Immediately after his remarks, the “White Chicks” star delved deeper into Udoka and Long’s situation.
Wayans disclosed on mark 30:29 that he believed Udoka intended to love Long. Despite the media frenzy the cheating scandal has caused, Wayans advised that the general public not judge things they don’t know much about, given the limited details that have been released.
He said, “Ime Udoka wanted to love Nia Long. What we’re doing as a society we are judging their relationship. We don’t know if they have this understanding or not. We don’t know if she was blindsided or not. But the embarrassment of it being all over social media and it being all over press now her ego, the female ego is going to get involved. I can’t look that way to my fans.”
Wayans added that if Long considers Udoka her “forever” person, she should overlook the public humiliation he’s caused her.
He said, “When you are unbreakable, the media embarrassment, other women nothings going to break you because I found love, I found partnership, I found my forever and in order to find forever you are going to have to live in a way that it bends and it don’t break…I would say to Nia Long, sis if he is all those things never mind the embarrassment, never mind all that.”
Wayans wrapped up the conversation by saying this is the same advice he would give his daughter and sisters. As Wayans’ comments circulated online, many called out the comedian for condoning “struggle love.”
“Black women don’t have to struggle for love. If you choose me, you choose me, there’s nothing I can do to change your decision if you don’t.”
“Who wants that struggle love.”
“Stop normalizing women having to go through hell. To find happiness.”
“They always want black women to accept struggle love. No thank you.”
“The choice of Cheating isn’t apart of the ups & downs!!!!!”
