Nia Long Reveals Why She Thinks Of Chris Rock and Will Smith As ‘My Brothers’
Hollywood’s favorite “around the way girl” Nia Long talked with The Hollywood Reporter magazine about her longevity in the industry, her dedication to her craft, and even let it be known that she for sure has some comedy chops!
The veteran actress will next be seen in Peacock’s new limited series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters and in between talking about her illustrious career and her famous co-stars, Long opened up in her interview about the struggles she has weathered recently with the suspension of her child's father, former Boston Celtics head coach, Ime Udoka.
“I went home to be with my son, and that was what was most important to me, because he was not having an easy time,” said Long of her 11-year old son’s reaction to what the team called an “inappropriate relationship” Udoka had with a female staff member.
Long told THR the team’s decision to disclose details that turned a personal decision into a public scandal was devastating to her. "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," she said.
Long also made it clear that while she has lived her life in the public eye, she wouldn't be discussing the status of her relationship with Udoka any further. However, she did weigh in on another controversial topic that many may not have known impacted her indirectly.
Long commented on the moment Will Smith slapped Chris Rock during this year's Academy Awards and Smith's wrath in response to a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. Long, who has co-starred with both actors, reached out to them individually after the incident.
“That was hard for me, because those are like my brothers, both of them. And I guess my prayer is that they can come to a place where they can at least be civil with one another and make peace,” she told THR.
In the meantime, Long is working on several projects which will bring her to her 70th acting credit. She’s proud to be one of the Black actresses in Hollywood who continue to work consistently and is looking forward to increasing that number even further.
