Ime Udoka has responded to ex-fiancée Nia Long’s request for primary custody of their son, Kez.
The Houston Rockets coach, 46, filed court documents on Thursday, September 14, requesting that the former couple share legal and physical joint custody, according to court documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight. The motion, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, noted that the 11-year-old has solely been living with Long, 52, since October 2022.
Per the court documents, Udoka is also seeking visitation rights and asking that each party cover their respective attorneys’ fees.
While Long has yet to address Udoka’s petition, she previously filed for full custody of Kez. According to an August filing obtained by ET, the actress requested that Udoka receive a “reasonable” visitation schedule in Kez’s “best interest” and claimed that the NBA coach has “failed” to provide child support for their son in light of their split. (Udoka did not publicly respond to Long’s claims at the time.)
Long and Udoka called off their longtime engagement in December 2022, three months after his cheating scandal made headlines. In September 2022, Udoka was accused of having an affair with a fellow Boston Celtics employee.
Nia Long with her and Ime Udoka’s son Kez. Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Crunchyroll
“I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision,” he said in a statement, apologizing for his actions. “Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”
Udoka was the head coach for the Boston Celtics, who suspended him for one year. Long, for her part, has vocally been disappointed in how the NBA team handled the scandal’s fallout.
Nia Long’s Family Album With Ime Udoka, Sons Massai and Kez: Photos
Family forever. Though Nia Long and fiancé Ime Udoka’s own relationship hit a rough patch in September 2022, the Best Man star will forever be committed to her sons. “The outpouring of love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me,” the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air […]
“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,” the Look Both Ways actress — who also shares son Massai, 22, with ex Massai Z. Dorsey — 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.”
She continued at the time: “I literally felt like my heart had jumped out of my body. And then what I found was this tribe of women and men who were standing up for me in a way that felt like I was in this bubble of protection, and that was very comforting.”
Long later told The Cut in February that Kez is still having a “really tough time” dealing with his parents’ breakup and the alleged scandal.
