Gabrielle Union facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gabrielle Union
Union in 2010
Born	Gabrielle Monique Union (1972-10-29) October 29, 1972 (age 52) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Education	University of California, Los Angeles (BS)
Occupation	Actress author
Years active	1992–present
Spouse(s)	Chris Howard ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2006)​ Dwyane Wade ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	1
Relatives	Saweetie (cousin once removed)

Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade (born October 29, 1972), known as Gabrielle Union, is an American actress and author. She started her career in the 1990s, appearing in many TV shows. She then got supporting roles in teen movies like She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999. She became more famous the next year with her big role in the teen film Bring It On.

Gabrielle Union is known for her roles in romantic comedy films such as The Brothers (2001) and Deliver Us from Eva (2003). She also starred in the CBS medical drama City of Angels (2000). Other notable films include Bad Boys II (2003), Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), and Breaking In (2018).

Union played the main character in the BET drama series Being Mary Jane (2013–2019). For this role, she won an NAACP Image Award. She also starred in the crime series L.A.'s Finest (2019–2020). Besides acting, Union has written four books. These include two memoirs, We're Going to Need More Wine (2017) and You Got Anything Stronger? (2021). She also wrote two children's books, Welcome to the Party (2020) and Shady Baby (2021).

At age 19, Union had a very difficult experience. She has since become a strong supporter for important causes. These include women's health, LGBTQ+ equality, and preventing violence against women. She and her husband, Dwyane Wade, received the President's Award for their work helping others. In 2020, Time magazine named Union one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Growing Up and Early Life

Gabrielle Union was born on October 29, 1972, in Omaha, Nebraska. Her mother, Theresa, was a phone company manager and social worker. Her father, Sylvester E. Union, was a military sergeant. She grew up in a Catholic family. Her mother taught her to be "an independent woman" and to "stand on her own two feet."

When Union was eight, her family moved to Pleasanton, California. Her mother wanted her to have a "world perspective." She even took Gabrielle to a gay pride parade. Union went to Foothill High School. There, she was a student athlete all year round. She played soccer, ran track, and played basketball.

Union's parents ended their marriage after 30 years. She said they handled it with "grace, dignity and respect." They always put their children first. Union felt lucky to have parents who showed her how to prioritize kids.

Growing up, Union struggled with how she saw herself. She was one of the few African-American children in her area. She used to believe that "blonde was the ideal of beauty." This made her feel like she was not pretty because she looked different.

Before her second year of college at UCLA, when she was 19, Union was attacked. This happened at her part-time job at a shoe store. She later said that self-defense lessons she learned from watching TV helped her survive. She sued the store for not warning employees about the attacker. Union earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from UCLA.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Acting

Union began her acting journey with small parts. Her very first audition was for the show Saved by the Bell. In 1997, she appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine as a Klingon character. She also had roles in popular shows like Moesha, Sister, Sister, and 7th Heaven. She even appeared in an episode of Friends. Before becoming widely known, she was in teen movies like She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You.

Becoming a Star (2000–2009)

Union in February 2009

In 2000, Gabrielle Union appeared in the film Love & Basketball. She then got the role of Isis in the cheerleading movie Bring It On. This movie made her very well-known. After Bring It On, she was cast as Dr. Courtney Ellis in the TV drama City of Angels.

In 2001, she was in The Brothers. Her acting was praised for being sincere. In 2003, Gabrielle Union got her first main role in the movie Deliver Us from Eva. The director, Gary Hardwick, chose her because she could easily switch from being funny to serious. Critics praised her performance in the film.

Also in 2003, Union played Syd, the girlfriend of the main character, in Bad Boys II. This movie was a huge success, earning over $273 million worldwide. She felt this role greatly helped her career. She also lent her voice to The Proud Family cartoon.

She starred in the 2005 movie Neo Ned. In this film, she played an African-American woman with unusual beliefs. Her acting in Neo Ned earned her an award for Best Actress at the Palm Beach International Film Festival. That same year, she was in the TV series Night Stalker.

In 2007, Gabrielle Union starred in Daddy's Little Girls by Tyler Perry. The role of Julia Rossmore, a lawyer, was written with her in mind. She was praised for her comedic timing in the film. She also starred with Morris Chestnut in the 2007 Christmas movie The Perfect Holiday. She played a divorced single mother of three.

Union has spoken about the challenges for Black actresses in Hollywood. She noted that there are fewer roles specifically for Black actors now. She believes Hollywood needs to appreciate all kinds of African-American beauty.

In 2008, Union appeared in three episodes of Ugly Betty. She also had a small part in Ne-Yo's music video for "Miss Independent". She was in the 2008 film Cadillac Records, playing Geneva Wade. Her performance in this film showed her wider acting skills. She also appeared in the film Meet Dave. In 2009, she joined the TV series Life on NBC. She was later nominated for an award for her role in the ABC series FlashForward.

Recent Work (2010s and 2020s)

Union in September 2010

In the early 2010s, Union appeared in shows like Army Wives and NTSF:SD:SUV::. In 2011, she got roles in Think Like a Man and an indie film called Family Tree. Union also defended the music video for Rihanna's song "Man Down". She said that every victim of an attack is "unique" in how they seek justice.

In 2012, Union was part of Bounce TV's documentary Our History. She played Natalie in the romantic comedy Good Deeds. She enjoyed working with Tyler Perry again on this film. She then appeared in Steve Harvey's film Think Like a Man. Union felt she could relate to her character, who married and divorced young. Her next film was In Our Nature. Union saw this film as a personal victory for her career.

In 2013, she began starring in the BET show Being Mary Jane. Union learned about the show while trying out for Scandal. She was happy to get her own show instead. Also in 2013, Union starred in Ava DuVernay's short film The Door.

Union played Kristen again in Think Like a Man Too in 2014. She was also a producer for the Lifetime film With This Ring. She appeared in Chris Rock's film Top Five. In November 2015, Union began voicing Nala in the Disney movie and series The Lion Guard. In 2016, Union was in The Birth of a Nation. She played Esther, a slave who is attacked. Union said she took the role because she could relate to it as a survivor of an attack herself. Later that year, she played Rachel Meyers in Almost Christmas.

In 2017, Union launched Flawless by Gabrielle Union, a line of hair-care products. In 2018, she starred in the action thriller film Breaking In.

In 2019, Union started starring as Syd Burnett in L.A.'s Finest, a spin-off of Bad Boys. She was also a judge for the fourteenth season of America's Got Talent. Her contract was not renewed, and she later filed a discrimination suit against the show's producers.

In December 2020, it was announced that Union would star with Zach Braff in a remake of Cheaper by the Dozen. This movie was released in March 2022. In December 2021, she played Tootie Ramsey in The Facts of Life for Live in Front of a Studio Audience. In March 2022, she was cast as the lead for the third season of Truth Be Told on Apple TV+. She returned to The Proud Family in its sequel series The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder in early 2023.

Books Written by Gabrielle Union

In April 2017, Union announced her first book, a memoir called We're Going to Need More Wine. The book shares personal stories and thoughts on topics like womanhood, friendship, and marriage. ..... It was released on October 17, 2017. In December 2017, The Root magazine named it a "Best Book of the Year by a Black Author."

In May 2020, Union released her first children's book, Welcome to the Party. This book celebrates newborns and different kinds of families. It was inspired by her daughter. She worked with her husband, Dwyane Wade, on a second children's book, Shady Baby, published in May 2021. She released a second memoir, You Got Anything Stronger?: Stories, on September 14, 2021.

Other Business Ventures

Union became a spokesperson for Neutrogena in 2004. In 2010, she launched Love & Blessings, a clothing line for plus-sized women. This line was inspired by her sister. In March 2014, Union released her first wine, Vanilla Puddin'. That November, she became the first celebrity ambassador for the nail polish company SensatioNail.

In 2020, Union relaunched her haircare brand, Flawless. This brand is for women with textured hair. The products are affordable and help people customize their hair routine. That same year, she became a cofounder of Bitsy's. Their goal is to make healthy, school-safe snacks that are affordable for all families.

Union and her daughter Kaavia are part of the ownership group for Angel City FC. This is a team in the National Women's Soccer League.

Advocacy and Social Causes

Gabrielle Union is a strong supporter for survivors of attacks. She has spoken out for young people who have faced difficult experiences. Union also talks about how important therapy is. She shared how she found therapy quickly with help from her family and co-workers.

Union spoke about the death of Trayvon Martin. She said that people with influence should speak out against injustice. She supported a petition to bring charges against George Zimmerman. After Zimmerman was found not guilty, Union said, "Apparently walking while black is a crime punishable by death."

When Tanganyika Williams, the aunt of NBA player Matt Barnes, died tragically in July 2014, Union asked for help finding information about her death.

Oprah Winfrey said she was inspired by Union's "Fierce and Fearless Award" speech. In it, Union honestly shared her past struggles with gossip and competition in Hollywood.

In February 2012, Union had a funny experience at airport security. She tweeted a joke about her hair causing "turbulence."

Union ran in the Global Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C., in June 2012. She did this to honor her friend Kristen Martinez, who died from breast cancer. In August 2013, Union helped unveil a special stamp. This stamp celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.

Union is an Ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure's Circle of Promise. ..... In 2012, she launched the Women Are Watching campaign with other actresses. In October 2014, it was announced that Union would design T-shirts for this campaign.

In 2020, Union worked with JusticeLA. They created a public service announcement about the health of people in L.A. County jails during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Political Involvement

In 2008, Union supported Barack Obama in his presidential campaign. President Obama later asked her to work with the National Advisory Committee for Violence Against Women. Union was part of Obama's "Greater Together" initiative for his 2012 re-election campaign. In August 2012, Union asked Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to release his tax returns.

In November 2014, the office of Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed announced a campaign called "Take a Stand." It included a short film with Union and Tika Sumpter. Union was named in the 2020 Time 100 list of most influential people. Before the 2020 presidential election, she encouraged Facebook users to make sure they were ready to vote.

Personal Life

Gabrielle Union met NFL player Chris Howard in 1999. They married on May 5, 2001, and separated in October 2005. Their marriage officially ended in 2006. Union later said she might have rushed into the relationship for the wrong reasons. She realized that the men in her life were "just human."

In 2008, Union started dating NBA player Dwyane Wade. They married on August 30, 2014, in Miami, Florida. Union became a stepmother to his three children. Before their marriage, Union stated that they would sign a prenuptial agreement. This was to protect their individual assets. On November 7, 2018, they welcomed their daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade, who was born via surrogate.

Awards and Nominations

Film and Television Roles

Movies

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1999	She's All That	Katarina "Katie" Darlingson
	10 Things I Hate About You	Chastity Church
2000	Love & Basketball	Shawnee
	Bring It On	Isis
2001	The Brothers	Denise Johnson
	Two Can Play That Game	Conny Spalding
2002	Abandon	Amanda Luttrell
	Welcome to Collinwood	Michelle
2003	Deliver Us from Eva	Evangeline "Eva" Dandrige
	Cradle 2 the Grave	Daria
	Bad Boys II	Special Agent Sydney "Syd" Burnett
	Ride or Die	Masked Woman	Video
2004	Breakin' All the Rules	Nicky Callas
2005	Neo Ned	Rachael
	The Honeymooners	Alice Kramden
	Say Uncle	Elise Carter
2006	Running with Scissors	Dorothy Ambrose
2007	Constellation	Carmel Boxer
	Daddy's Little Girls	Julia Rossmore
	The Box	Det. Cris Romano
	The Perfect Holiday	Nancy Taylor
2008	Meet Dave	No. 3 - Cultural Officer
	Cadillac Records	Geneva Wade
2012	Think Like a Man	Kristen
	Good Deeds	Natalie
	In Our Nature	Vicki
2013	Miss Dial	Long Story Caller
	The Door	She	Short
2014	Think Like a Man Too	Kristen
	Top Five	Erica Long
2016	The Birth of a Nation	Esther
	Almost Christmas	Rachel Meyers
2017	Sleepless	Dena Smith
2018	The Public	Rebecca Parks
	Breaking In	Shaun Russell
2020	Fearless	General Jayne Nadia Blazerhatch (voice)
2022	Cheaper by the Dozen	Zoey Baker
	The Inspection	Inez French
	Strange World	Meridian Clade (voice)
2023	The Perfect Find	Jenna Jones
2024	Space Cadet	Pam
	Riff Raff	Sandy
2026	Goat	Jett Fillmore (voice)	In production
TBA	The Casket Girls	Detective Shay Williams	Post-production
	Forbidden Fruits	TBA	Filming

Television Shows

Music Videos

Documentaries

See also

In Spanish: Gabrielle Union para niños