Nia Long has fans talking and wondering what she’s been up to months after her split with Ime Udoka. The actress ended her relationship and engagement with the former Boston Celtics head coach last fall following reports that he had an affair with a team staffer.
The pair parted ways after spending 13 years together, and some believe it was for the best.
Over the weekend, “The Best Man” star posted two images of herself on Instagram; one highlights her neck as she sports a diamond necklace, and the other features her toned legs as she lay by a swimming pool.
She captioned the posts, “Baby diamonds on my neck” and “Brown skin island gyal….summer is coming.”
Fans in her comment section were taken aback by Long’s latest “thirst traps,” though many expressed that they couldn’t be happier for her.
“Nia gave us 2 knee caps, a shadow, poolside furniture, greenery, a fence, some chlorine water with a soundtrack and look at us,” noted one fan. “We couldn’t be happier.”
“I’m excited to see where this behavior is leading to,” replied one.
“You been acting real bad lately!” added another. “So you back outside fr?!?”
“Nia got her groove back and I say, good for her!”
“When your neck is thirst trap”
During her interview with The Cut last February, Long said she planned to have fun in her life following her split from Udoka.
“Black women that are dynamic and famous and there to inspire are also required to be exceptional, and sometimes I get tired of being strong. That’s my biggest thing: I don’t want to have to be strong. I would like to just have an experience that’s pleasant,” Long explained.
She later added, “I want to have fun and live my life. Without expectation. Not reckless, ’cause I’ll never be that. But I want to have fun. And I will.”
Long previously spoke about how disappointed she was after the Celtics made her personal situation public when they revealed Udoka’s affair. The former couple shares an 11-year-old son, Kez. Long also has a 22-year-old Massai.
“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,” said Long. “It was devastating, and it still is. He still has moments where it’s not easy for him.”
Last month, Long took a soothing vacation to Japan with her youngest son and shared pictures of the trip on social media. On April 11, she visited Tennessee State University for the TSU Women of Legend and Merit Awards as a keynote speaker. The ceremony recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of women in the community, and Long shared some sage advice for the ladies.
“If you change your thinking, your doing will be different,” she told the audience. “Be fearless. No one is going to believe in you the way you believe in yourself… Sometimes we are given less than. But don’t pay attention to that, keep moving forward.”
It seems as though Long is taking her own advice and is keeping things moving while still having fun.
