Source: Variety / Getty
Not surprisingly, there’s always been talk when it comes to the dating life of perfectly-seasoned actress Nia Long — literally, just look at her! — even at the golden age of 52 years old. However, she recently sparked some major talk about her teenage love life after a clip from an interview resurfaced of The Best Man screen siren admitting that she had a 30-year-old boyfriend at the time.
…..Oh, and he got her mom’s consent! Watch below for the jaw-dropping reveal:
RELATED: Inside Her Story: Older Men Dating Much Younger Women
As you can tell from the gasps from the audience heard in the background, Long’s moment of honesty wasn’t exactly met with open arms. For the record, Nia explains that she, in her words, “wasn’t the girl that ever went to prom” and that her Oman-raised ex-boyfriend “was so good” and also “kind” to her. “He did it the right way,” she exclaimed, elaborating by adding, “He went to [my mom] and he said ‘I love your daughter and I want to date your daughter.'” Mom’s response? “Well, if that’s who you love, baby…”
Yeah, we’re scratching our heads right along with you! However, there are a few things to consider here. Nia said she was a teenager, but never gave the exact age she was when dating her much-older Omani man. The actress was born in Brooklyn and raised in California, where the age of consent is 17 years old and 18 years old, respectively. Her first comment about “prom” alludes to the timeframe being closer to 17 or 18, maybe even 19, but the decade-plus age gap between them either way still raises questions for us. She also mentions that through his hair salon business, she was taught lessons on how to tap into her femininity in terms of haircare and makeup. Given these mitigating factors — she’s happy, mom’s happy and he’s giving her tips on womanhood! — could it ever be cool to be a cradle-robber?
Take some time to really think about it — and no, anyone 16 or under would *never* be acceptable for an adult relationship — and let us know your thoughts when it comes to age gaps, consent and dating someone older/younger in general. A few people on social media already got the conversation started regarding Nia Long’s past relationship — see below for some standout reactions:
- John Legend To Remix ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’; Will Remove Problematic Elements And Promote Consent
- Inside Her Story: Teach Your Children About Consent
1. Nia Long casually talking about how her boyfriend was 30 when she was in high school and people just laughing What in the targaryen hell
via @TheBasedPluto
2. I think some people forget Nia Long is 52, which is 6 years off from being a Baby Boomer. They were still with much marrying the girls off young. My aunt got married at 14 to a 25 year old and they’ve been married 50 plus years now. So this does not shock me.
via @OverpricedVodka
3. Not Nia long telling us she was groomed by a 30 year old man and her mother being okay with it 😐🫢
via @kai_wavey
4. Nia Long proving she’s just as dingy as some of the characters she plays. I’ve always thought Nia Long was so beautiful and I still do but we don’t justify nor endorse 30 year old men being with teenagers. It’s not right, male or female, a 30 year old is good and grown! Do better
via @monaliza_kc
5. Actress Nia Long sharing her memories of dating a 30 yr old man while in high school is unfortunately a common thing within American society. There is absolutely too many teenage girls willingly dating men! And to think that her mother allowed this shit is deplorable. #nialong
via @blkconservofhou
6. That Nia Long clip reminds of the “Good Times” episode when Florida ok’d her 16-year-old daughter dating a 21-year-old dude, but James was against it…
via @theaveragevoter
7. The way nia long said her boyfriend was 30 when she was in highschool and everything side eyed HER and not the man in question…. Lol the jokes write themselves
via @_MariTaylor
8. Knew of 3 chicks in high school that were in the same scenario like Nia Long.
via @cjwizgeek
9. Not sure how I feel about Nia Long anymore. Admitting that some 30 year old arab was knocking her down when she was in high school is crazy
via @Warrior23E_
10. everyone wanna bag Nia Long yo 😭
via @507LindaALeudo
