Mystery woman revealed. Nia Long‘s fiancé Ime Udoka‘s mistress has been identified following his suspension from the NBA.
Us Weekly confirms the employee who allegedly engaged in an affair with the Boston Celtics coach, 45, is team service manager Kathleen Nimmo Lynch, a married mother of three.
Udoka and Long, 51, have been engaged since 2015 and share 10-year-old son Kez. The duo’s relationship made headlines last month when The Athletic reported that Udoka had an “intimate and consensual relationship with a female member” of the Celtics staff after being hired as head coach in June 2021. According to the outlet, the franchise views the alleged affair as “improper” behavior that violates its code of conduct.
The team confirmed Udoka’s suspension on September 22. “The Boston Celtics announced today that the team has suspended Head Coach Ime Udoka for the 2022-23 season for violations of team policies,” read a press release. “A decision about his future with the Celtics beyond this season will be made at a later date. The suspension takes effect immediately.”
The Oregon native, for his part, addressed the controversy in a statement of his own. “I want to apologize to our players, fans, the entire Celtics organization, and my family for letting them down,” he said at the time. “I am sorry for putting the team in this difficult situation, and I accept the team’s decision. Out of respect for everyone involved, I will have no further comment.”
When news of the cheating scandal initially broke, Lynch’s identity was kept under wraps. She has yet to speak out publicly about the affair. Us has reached out to her for comment.
Following her fiancé’s suspension, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum broke her silence in a statement to Us. “The outpouring [of] love and support from family, friends and the community during this difficult time means so much to me,” Long said on September 23. “I ask that my privacy be respected as I process the recent events. Above all, I am a mother and will continue to focus on my children.”
Along with Kez, the actress shares son Massai, 21, with ex Massai Z. Dorsey. Since Udoka got down on one knee, the Boyz n the Hood star has been candid about not wanting to rush to the altar.
“I understand the religious aspect of marriage. That is beautiful and it’s fantastical and it’s dreamy and it’s every girl’s fantasy to have that moment. But I don’t know that I need that,” she said during an appearance on Essence’s “Yes, Girl!” podcast in 2020. “Love is complicated, let’s just start there.”
Long continued at the time: “Then you start a marriage, which I’ve never been married. And there’s a reason for that, because I don’t know that I need to say, ‘I do’ to prove to you that I love you. … I don’t know that I need that to feel like I’m in a partnership that’s working.”
