Adulthood is quite possibly the worst hood I've ever lived in and I think I speak for all of us when I say that I hate it here.
I have to pay back my student loans, return texts, make regularly scheduled appointments with my therapist, and still remember to get my toes painted every few weeks so I'm not out here looking like a Flintstone so excuse the hell out of me if I say that walking down the aisle isn't my biggest priority.
This bomb that I call a biological clock might go off any minute now but despite this fact, I'm not letting adulthood or society force me into marriage until I'm good and damn ready and according to our forever girl crush Nia Long, she's keeping that same energy.
In a recent interview on Yes! Girl Podcast, the Fatal Affair star, who has been in a long-term relationship with former pro-baller Ime Udoka for more than a decade, opened up about how she really feels about marriage. *Spoiler alert: she's not a fan.*
"Love is complicated, let's just start there. And then you start a marriage, which I've never been married. And there's a reason for that because I don't know that I need to say 'I do' to prove to you that I love you. But also, what does marriage really [mean]… that you own me now and I own you? I don't get that part."
The actress explained that although she can understand religious motivations behind jumping the broom, it's not something that she can say holds a great deal of importance in her life or her relationship:
"I understand the religious aspect of marriage. That is beautiful and it's fantastical and it's dreamy and it's every girl's fantasy to have that moment. But I don't know that I need that to feel like I'm in a partnership that's working."
Although the couple has been engaged since 2015 and share a son together, in a previous statement published by ESSENCE regarding rumors of a secret marriage, Nia had this to say:
"Marriage is not a priority. We're happy, I'm happy, the kids are fantastic."
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Nia explained that when it comes to relationships, she's a fan of everyone doing what's best for them. In her case, that means taking a few moments away from her family to practice self-care:
"I think everybody has to define their relationship for themselves. Like, everyone has a different understanding, a different agreement. And you have to do what works for your particular family."
"I think any key to any relationship is, give your partner the room to be who he needs to be, who she needs to be, and if it means you're taking a break to do that? Take the break! I know I sometimes just leave the house and I don't tell anyone where I'm going and I'm like, 'OK guys I'll be back.' Because I've learned that if I don't take care of myself first, nothing else in the house runs smoothly."
To listen to Nia's full interview on the Yes! Girl Podcast, click here!
Featured image by Instagram/@iamnialong.