Nia Long had no idea how much love she was surrounded by until she was at her lowest.

The You People star is candidly reflecting on her split from Ime Udoka , the former Boston Celtics coach who allegedly cheated on her with a staffer . She told rapper Jeezy in an interview Tuesday she was genuinely stunned by the overwhelming support for her.

I had to realize everything that happened in the last year and a half shouldnt have nothing to do with me, said Long . I was not embarrassed. The way that Black people stood up for me, the way that Black women were like, Oh no, you dont do that to her, I was shocked.

She added: I didnt realize that what I had done in my career had so much impact.

Long established herself as everyones favorite girl next door with roles in Friday (1995) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air . Her continued success has made her a role model for young Black actors and an object of affection for numerous rappers who grew up watching her .

Udoka, meanwhile, led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his inaugural year as head coach during the 2021-2022 season. The team eventually suspended Udoka, who issued a public apology to the Celtics and his fiance. He now coaches the Houston Rockets.

Long, who shares an 11-year-old son with her ex-fianc, shared earlier this year how devastating the scandal really was .

I think Im exactly where I need to be, she said Tuesday. Which is, some days Im like totally good and then other days Im like, Oh God this feels like so much work. I feel that, you know. And then other days it feels like women shouldnt have to be this strong.

Long continued: I dont want to be this strong sometimes.