Nia Long is pregnant.

The former Third Watch actress — whose film credits include the ’90s hits Love Jones and Soul Food — is expecting her second child; her first with pro basketball player boyfriend Ime Udoka, PEOPLE Magazine has learned.

“This is the most exciting time in our lives,” the couple told the celebrity weekly over the weekend. “Words can’t explain how thrilled we are by the new addition to our family. We feel truly blessed and appreciate all the well wishes and prayers.”

The child will be the first for Ime, who most recently played for the San Antonio Spurs. Nia, 40, has a 10-year-old son, Massai, from a previous relationship.

The stunning Love Jones star recently bared all on a New York City subway train for the animal rights group’s new ad.

It’s pretty heavily photoshopped, no?

“When I became a mother, I started to really understand the importance of all living creatures in a way that I didn’t ever think about before,” Nia says of her new partnership with PETA. “And I’ve realized how important it is that we really take responsibility for … treating animals with love and care just like we would any human being. There’s no difference, in my opinion, [between fur and] slavery or the Holocaust. It’s just that we’re not dealing with human beings, we’re dealing with animals, but it’s still a living thing.”

“I didn’t see ‘Obsessed,’ so I can’t comment, but it’s just not about how talented you are anymore. It’s about, ‘How much box-office revenue will this person generate?’ When you see certain people – we won’t name names – they just don’t have the skill, and no one in their team has said, ‘You need acting classes,’” the former Love Jones star replied curtly in the August issue of Britain’s Pride Magazine.

She also goes on to say, “If you’re a singer not an actress, you should sing. If you’re a rapper, you should rap,” “If you take time to develop your craft, God bless you. Jamie Foxx is an example of both [actor and singer].”

Nia further added, “If you were able to take all the Black actresses and the choices we’ve made collectively, it’s a pure reflection of what you see on film. People need to work. But the content? The opportunities for Black actresses are more widespread today, but the quality has suffered.”

Do you agree with her?

Three of the sexiest screen sirens in Black Hollywood are lighting up the Collector’s Edition cover of Essence Magazine.