She’s newly single and it’s unclear if she’s ready to mingle, but all eyes have been on Nia Long. The actress ended her 13-year relationship with Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka following an explosive cheating scandal that rocked the franchise. She remained silent through the pop culture chatter, but now, Long is back to promote not one but two film projects.
Long has been busy jet-setting from red carpets for Missing and You People, to popping up in Dubai with Terrence J. At the You People premiere in Los Angeles, she ran into Omarion as photographers captured their interaction. The innocent exchange turned into a viral moment after the former B2K singer shared a post on social media.
Read More: Nia Long Says She’s “Single AF” Following Omarion Dating Rumors
Omarion added a simple smiling face emoji to the brief clip. Quickly, as social media users often do, rumors began swirling online about some romance—or sneaky link. Long returned to join in with the laughs and made it clear that she’s a single woman.
More recently, while traveling through LAX, Omarion was spotted by the paparazzi. Of course, they questioned him about his moment with the veteran actress. The singer was quick to shut down speculation about them dating.
Read More: Nia Long & Yung Miami Show Love At “You People” Premiere
The cameraperson noted that Omarion was “putting the fire out, right here, right now.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that,” Omarion replied. The photog assumed, “Oh, so there’s a little bit of a window.” O answered, “I didn’t say that. I didn’t say anything.”
It was clear that the paparazzo was looking for a soundbite to roll with, but Omarion wasn’t budging. “I just met her on the red carpet,” he added.
Check out the awkward exchange above.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 17: Nia Long and Omarion attend the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “You People” at Regency Village Theatre on January 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Robin L Marshall/WireImage)