Even a ’90s fine favorite is fed up with the foolishness of the dating scene.
Nia Long has officially clocked out of the modern dating circus, and she’s not ashamed to admit it. The 55-year-old actress recently stopped by Baby, This Is Keke Palmer, on April 21, where she made it crystal clear that navigating today’s love scene feels less like romance and more like a group project no one prepared for. Her verdict? The dating scene is absolutely “stupid.”
“It’s stupid I hate it. It’s so dumb,” the Michael star told host Keke Palmer, 32, when asked about her current stance on dating. According to Long, men today don’t meet her standards when it comes to romancing.
“I want flowers sent to my house. I need you to show consistent effort,” she said. “I need you to show me that I need you.”
Keke Palmer wondered if dating older men was the answer. Here’s what Nia Long had to say.
Palmer agreed and shared her own frustrations, mainly that some men seem to prefer her when she plays things down and acts a bit “dumb.” But then she threw a curveball. She had a recent run-in with a charming 69-year-old who “gave her an evening to remember,” making her ponder if it might be better to explore dating men in the 60+ age range. Long, however, shut that idea down real quick.
“I can’t go that old because I’m like fresh and clean and that just feels like it could just get a little musty or something. It could be a little weird,” she chuckled.
Still, she made it clear she’s not clueless about love, just selective.
“But I also feel like I’ve experienced good love and so I know when it’s good and when it’s just play time.”
Nia Long said she thinks she needs more “play time” in her life on the latest episode of Baby, This Is Keke Palmer.
And here’s where it gets relatable: between a packed schedule and, you know, being Nia Long, she admitted she’s not exactly built for casual dating, nor does she know “how” to, she admitted. Ironically, that’s exactly what she thinks she needs right now, a little less forever, and a little more “play time.”
Palmer agreed, floating the idea of commitment with benefits.
“Why can’t we be consistent sneaky links,” Palmer asked.
To which Long fired back with what might be the most 2026 dating requirement yet:
“And they talk too much. Where’s the NDA!?”
“Eat it and sign!” she joked before adding:
“I want to date with intention but I also want to have fun. I just don’t think I’m like into it though. Here’s the other thing, I don’t have time. That’s really the truth.”
Nia Long’s past relationships.
Love hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride for Long. Back in 2022, her relationship with former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka ended amid reports of an alleged affair within the organization after 13 years together. The two share a son named Kez.
“I think the most heartbreaking thing about all of this was seeing my son’s face when the Boston Celtics organization decided to make a very private situation public,” she told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.
She also shares another son, Massai Zhivago Dorsey II, with actor Massai Z. Dorsey, whom she dated from 1999 to 2001.
In a recent interview with PEOPLE, the actress revealed that she’s been happily co-parenting with both of her exes despite no longer being with them.
”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,” she told the outlet April 14. “It only means that we don’t have to be romantically involved with each other, but we can still celebrate our children.”
So where does that leave her now? Somewhere between “send flowers” and “please sign this NDA,” with just enough optimism to keep things interesting, but not enough to download a dating app.
What do you think? Does Nia Long have a point about modern dating? Watch her full interview on Baby, This Is Keke Palmer above.
RELATED CONTENT: Nia Long Poses For ‘Playboy’ And Talks Protecting Her Peace, Dating Younger, And Drowning Out The ‘Michael’ Hate: ‘No One Can Interfere With My Sanity’
