Nia Long has been doing a lot of chatting about relationships and her current dating status, and fans are really intrigued. Last month, the 55-year-old “Love Jones” actress got unexpectedly candid while weighing in on Keke Palmer’s viral relationship comments, admitting that the idea of liv ing separately from a spouse now sounds appealing. Long, who said she’s spent most of her life in relationships, pointed to how much her perspective has shifted — especially after a public fallout tied to Ime Udoka left her exposed in a way she hadn’t experienced before. Nia Long’s candid confession about her dating life has people connecting the dots to her ex, Ima Udoka. (Photo by Ben Kriemann/Getty Images for Universal Pictures) ‘Is Tradition Over?’: Modern Women Embrace ‘Living Apart But Staying Together’ as the Backlash Over What’s Considered Healthy In Marriage Explodes The beloved actress, who has been treated like a Hollywood royalty since the 1990s, is one of the most mentioned names in hip-hop, with credits on song lyrics from J. Cole, Nas, Ghostface Killah, and more. Long even has Harlem rapper Cam’ron publicly crushing on her. But the man who ended up stealing her heart for 13 years was NBA coach Ime Udoka. Long and her ex-fiancé ended their seven-year engagement in 2023, calling it quits following public drama that exploded after infidelity. Udoka was exposed for having an affair with a female staffer when he was the head coach of the Boston Celtics and was consequently fired from the team. The “Best Man” star admitted she was “kind of dating,” but not looking for a serious commitment during an interview on the “Today” show with Sheinelle Jones. That seems to still be the case, but she does have her eye on a certain type of man.  Long recently sat for an interview with Playboy magazine, where interviewer Jamilah Lemieux mentioned the rise in older women having relationships with younger men.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nia Long Stan (@itsnialong) She told the entertainer in the April 13 feature, “There seems to be an uptick in women enjoying the company of younger men.” To which Long responded, “I’m a big fan of this. I love it. Why not?” Lemieux probed, “Have you given that a spin yet?” Long replied, “See, I told you I’m not really out there. I got to get out there.” The internet had a field day commenting under The Jasmine Brand’s post about Long, where one person admitted, “I think Jeezy has a chance tbh,” hinting at her viral sit-down interview with rapper Jeezy. Two others joked, “She want her a YN” and “She can play with the young ones but not the ones her age. NO GAME.” Skeptics connected the dots and began comparing the age gap between Long and Udoka, as one pointed out, “This tracks…Udoka is 7/8 years younger than her so nothing to see here.” Another said, “I blame Udoka. Done turn her into an old bop.” Another person thought that it wasn’t a good look for Long to admit this, saying, “No famous man can say this though.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Atlanta Black Star (@atlblackstar) Dating young is nothing new for Long. In fact, her ex-fiancé, Udoka, is 48 while she is 55. Their relationship started in 2010 after meeting in Boston through a mutual friend and the next year they were welcoming their first child together, a son named Kez Sunday. Long had already welcomed one child, 25-year-old Massai Z Dorsey, whom she had with her ex, Massai Z Dorsey Sr.  Though those relationships didn’t work out, Long appears to be in good standing with both of them. In the Playboy interview, she spoke about the coparenting relationship that she has with them. She said, “I have had beautiful relationships with both of my children’s fathers. It didn’t work out. It doesn’t mean I don’t love ’em. It doesn’t mean we’re not cool. It doesn’t mean we’re not friends. It doesn’t mean that we still can’t have family time together. It only means that we don’t have to be romantically involved with each other, but we can still celebrate our children.” Nia Long has gotten what she wanted in her custody battle with Ime Udoka. She will be receiving $32,500 monthly as child support. pic.twitter.com/nQOPG90h5L— Life Drama (@XViralNews7) January 23, 2024 Long says she, her sons, and their fathers still go on holidays and vacations and occasionally attend dinner together. However, no lines have been crossed or reported about any rekindling. “There’s obviously boundaries there, but we can still be a family,” she explained. “We can still be proud of the legacy that we’re creating in our careers separately. And it works. We make it work. Really, I make it work. I’m not giving anyone else the credit.” Since their split, neither Long nor Udoka has been known to have struck up new romantic relationships only rumors based on outings with other celebs. Her ex, Dorsey Sr., chooses to stay out of the Hollywood limelight altogether.  ‘I Blame Udoka’: Nia Long Ditches the ‘Dating Rules’ — But Makes It Clear She’s Not Checking for Men Her Age ...read more read less