Gabrielle Monique Union is a well-known actress, singer, and former model residing in the United States. She is popular for her roles in the movies Bring It On, Bad Boys II, Cadillac Records, and Think Like A Man.
She worked at a talent agency to supplement her acting income while playing soccer at the University of Nebraska. Gabrielle Union didn't plan to become an actress initially, even though many people who have witnessed her perform praised her beauty, natural talent, and star quality.
Gabrielle Union Has Been Married Twice
First Marriage: Married Life with Chris Howard (2001-2005)
At a party in 1999, Union met Chris Howard, an NFL player. They were married on May 5th, 2001, and separated in October 2005. Their divorce was finalized a year later in 2006.
She described the marriage as a "dumb relationship that shouldn't have progressed past the courtship stage."
Union acknowledged that she was not "winning wife of the year awards" for her marriage to the former Jacksonville Jaguars athlete and said she felt bad about his prior affairs.
She has said that she had to settle all of the expenses because she believed that what comes—the spoils of her wealth.
She said that portion of her alleged infidelity was caused by Howard's alleged infidelity, and the other portion was due to her philosophy on the dynamics of power in relationships.
Union divorced her first spouse, former NFL player Chris Howard, not long after she announced the separation in 2005.
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Second Marriage: Dwyane Wade (2014-present)
When it comes to their relationship, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade have never been hesitant to be open and honest.
The couple first met in February 2007 at a Super Bowl party, but began dating only in 2009. Union and Wade made their relationship official only in 2010 by appearing at the Summer Groove Benefit Dinner in Hollywood, Florida, in July 2010.
When they first met, Wade was still married to his then-wife, Siohvaughn Funches, with whom he welcomed two children, Zaya and Zaire.
After four years of a relationship, Union and Wade parted ways briefly in 2013, but their separation made them realize that it was not the solution.
They broke up because of distance and scheduling, but the break and the reason behind it was known to us only after they were engaged.
Union opened up about the breakup in an interview with Glamour in January 2014, where she said that she always wanted an awesome career with back-to-back projects, but she realized that she wasn’t willing to sacrifice her relationship for it.
She eventually decided that her work schedule must make sense for her family.
Now, Union and her husband Wade are living a blissful family life with their children.
Well, the couple has a daughter named Kaavia James, but they are also parenting Dwyane Wade’s kids from his previous relationships.
Their daughter Kaavia was born via surrogacy on November 7, 2018. Union struggled with infertility before welcoming their daughter into the family.
Union has been very vocal about her infertility problems for years and has revealed that she had suffered "eight or nine miscarriages" as a result of adenomyosis, a uterine disorder comparable to endometriosis.
They also have Zaire Wade and Zaya Wade in their family. Zaire is Wade’s firstborn child with his ex-wife ,DR. Siohvaughn Funches.
He is an athlete just like his dad and has played for the NBA G-League’s Salt Lake City Stars and the Cape Town Tigers.
Wade talked about his son’s basketball career in 2020, saying that if basketball is Zaire’s ultimate goal, then he is just trying to help him along the way.
Wade and Funches’ second child is Zaya Wade, who is transgender. Wade opened up about Zaya’s coming out with Ellen DeGeneres in 2020, saying that he wants to give his child Zaya the best opportunity to be her best self.
Additionally, Wade is also the legal guardian of his nephew Dahveon Morris.
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Being a Rape Victim
In 1992, when Union was 19 years old, she was working part-time in a Payless Store when she was attacked and raped.
Union and another employee were shutting the store that evening when an armed guy came in, emptied the cash register, and forced Union into a sexual assault while holding a gun to her head. She eventually managed to acquire the gun and made an effort to shoot her assailant.
But when the gun jammed, the man beat her before leaving the shop. Later, after turning himself in, Union discovered that the man was a worker of another Payless location who had previously assaulted a Payless employee and committed several store robberies.
He was found guilty of his conduct against Union, and she later won a lawsuit against Payless for negligence on their part for failing to alert staff to the man's prior offenses and potential threat to other female employees.
Union turned to her closest friends for support after the incident left her traumatized. She started gathering with a group of other victims who had also survived sexual assault, and for many years, and spoke up in favor of other victims.
She was profoundly changed by this terrifying experience, becoming a stronger, more resilient individual.
Early Life and Childhood
Union was brought up in Pleasanton, California, while being born in Omaha, Nebraska, on October 29, 1973. Her age is 52 years, as of 2025.
The early years of Union's life were spent in a wealthy black neighborhood as part of a big family that had lived in the Omaha region for many generations.
The small community was primarily made up of white people, but her mother made sure that she and her siblings were educated about their Black heritage.
Union struggled with self-esteem issues as a child since she thought as a child that the epitome of beauty was blonde; therefore, she considered herself unattractive as she didn't resemble that.
When she was younger, she learned how to be an independent woman who can handle her problems on her own and can resist being pushed down.
Gabrielle Union's Education Background
Union was a brilliant and ambitious athlete in high school who excelled in basketball, soccer, and track.
She was just eight years old when her family immigrated to Pleasanton, California, where she later attended Foothill High School.
Union played varsity soccer while attending the University of Nebraska to study. Later, she switched schools and enrolled in Cuesta College before deciding to transfer to UCLA, where she graduated with a sociology degree.
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Gabrielle Union Parents Details
Her mother, Theresa, worked as a manager at a phone firm, and her father, Sylvester E. Union, was a corporate executive and a former military sergeant.
She has two sisters, Kelly Union and Tracy Union. Having been married for thirty years, Union's parents separated.
She stated that they managed the divorce and their ensuing adjustment into a dysfunctional family with decency, respect, and grace. They excluded us and constantly placed us last.
She is fortunate to be able to just emulate what her parents did and always puts the children first.
Professional Career
Career in Modeling
Following graduation, she accepted a job as a temporary office assistant at a modeling agency, where clients frequently confused her for one of the models.
She accepted the agency's invitation to become a model, and after doing so, she began to appear in magazines like Teen.
Career in Movies and TV Shows
Minor roles were Union's entry point into the performing world. She had her very first tryout for Saved by the Bell. Union landed a string of guest parts on various TV shows during the ensuing years.
After that, she started acting in many movies and enjoyed great success. Her most notable film roles include Isis in the cheerleading film "Bring It On" and Will Smith's girlfriend in the movie "Bad Boys 2."
In the ABC sitcom "FlashForward," Union portrayed a recurring role. She received an "NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series" nomination in 2010 for her work in the show.
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Gabrielle Union Net Worth
Hollywood needs to take Gabrielle Union seriously. She is among the wealthiest actresses with more than $40 million net worth. She earns most of her money from her lucrative acting career and Flawless by Gabrielle Union, her haircare line.
A professional NBA player, her husband is estimated to be worth $170 million. His lucrative basketball career and the endorsement deals that go along with it are what bring in the money.
Assets, Properties, and Other Sources of Income
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union's joint net worth is largely derived from their real estate holdings. In February 2020, Dwyane and Gabrielle invested $20 million in a lavish home in Hidden Hills, California.
A home cinema, a cabana by the swimming pool, an indoor swimming pool, and a 12-car garage with an automated turntable are all features of the two-story, 22,000-square-foot residence.
They also own a house in Sherman Oaks that they purchased in 2018 for $6 million. The couple also owns a huge oceanfront home in Miami that Dwyane bought in 2010 while he was a player for The Heat for $10.7 million.
The year 2019 saw a $32.5 million asking price placed on this house's listing, however, it was later reduced to $29 million. The property was still for sale in 2020. Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade signed a prenuptial agreement to protect their financial interests when they got married.
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Body Measurements
Gabrielle is one of the most attractive actresses in the film industry. She is tall as her height is 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m), weighs 57 kg (125 lbs), and has a 24-inch waist. She has dark brown eyes and black hair. Her dress size is 4(US) and her shoe size is 9 (US).
