Nia Long is on the February Issue of "Essence". She went on the set the record straight on what really happened the night her two lovers got into a fight.
Essence: Last summer everyone was talking about how you were involved in an ugly scuffle at The Grove, an upscale shopping mall in Los Angeles
Nia:Yes. But I want to get this straight: It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t start it; I didn’t throw any punches. It was one man’s ego against another man’s pride. It was all about them.
Essence: But how do two grown men start fighting at a mall?
Nia: What happened was, I’d gone out to dinner with my son and a friend of mine. This was the first time I’d ever brought my child around someone I was dating, so it was a big deal. After dinner, my son’s father (to whom Long was previously engaged; the couple broke up when their son was a toddler) needed to pick him up, so I told him to meet me. Really, I had no intention of introducing him to my friend right then, because my life is my business. He knows I’m a good mother, and that’s the most important thing. But he got to the mall a lot faster than I thought he would. It’s like he put on his Batman wings and flew (laughing).When I saw him I thought, Okay, this is nothing to get excited about, and I introduced him to my friend. They shook hands, and then I guess my son’s father just got emotional, because he basically punched my friend in the face.
Essence: He shook his hand and then popped him for no reason?
Nia: Words were exchanged, but I’m not going to repeat them. Really, I don’t think that fight had anything to do with me. I think it had to do with our son. Men are very protective of their children, and ours is his first and only child. I think my child’s father was like, “This is who’s around my son?” and just kind of lost it. Then they started fighting, so I walked off because I didn’t want my son to get the idea that this is appropriate behavior. That’s when the mall security came and broke it up, and the police were called. (Long’s ex did not return repeated phone calls from Essence.)
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Kendu and his daughter
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