Gabrielle Union

October 29, 2024

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

American actress Gabrielle Union was born on October 29, 1972. She began her career through modeling and appearing in several minor film and drama roles, gaining popularity after starring in “Bring It On.” Some of Union’s most well-known works include “The Brothers” (2001), “Deliver Us from Eva” (2003), and “Think Like a Man” (2012). As of 2022, Union has a massive social media presence with over 20 million followers on Instagram, almost five million followers on TikTok, and more than four million followers on both Facebook and Twitter. She has also established herself as an advocate for assault survivors and frequently speaks out against racism. Let’s celebrate her special day today.

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Gabrielle Monique Union

Birth date:

October 29, 1972

Age:

Zodiac Sign:

Scorpio

Height:

5' 7.3"

Relationship Status:

Married

Net Worth:

$40 million

Background

Gabrielle Monique Union was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and has two siblings. Union moved to Pleasanton, California, when she was eight years old. She attended Foothill High School and graduated in 1991. Union continued her studies at the University of Nebraska, then transferred to Cuesta College. However, she switched colleges again and completed her degree at U.C.L.A. Union graduated with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

During her college years, Union interned at a modeling agency in L.A. When the agency discovered her acting ability, it began to send Union to auditions. Her first audition took place in 1989 for the sitcom “Saved by the Bell.” However, her first leading role was in “Deliver Us From Eva” (2003), a box office success. Union was given the Rising Star Award by the American Black Film Festival for her performance as Evangeline Dandrige in the film. Seven years later, she was part of the cast in “Flash Forward,” a science fiction drama series on A.B.C. Her performance earned her the N.A.A.C.P. Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In 2020, she appeared on “Time’s” ‘100 Most Influential People in the World list. Two years later, the actress was cast as the lead character of “Truth Be Told” season three on Apple T.V.+.

Union was married to N.F.L. player Chris Howard in 2001. However, the couple divorced in 2005. Three years later, she began dating N.B.A. player Dwayne Wade and married him in Miami, Florida, in 2014.

Career timeline

2000

Union Breaks into the Industry

Union shoots to popularity due to her role as Isis in “Bring It On.”

2003

The First Leading Role

Union gets her first leading role as Evangeline Dandrige in “Deliver Us From Eva,” a box office success that earns her two awards.

2010

The Outstanding Performance

Union’s performance in “FlashForward” wins the N.A.A.C.P. Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

2017

The Businesswoman Emerges

Union launches her hair-care product brand “Flawless” and collaborates with Invicta Watch Group to develop her line of watches.

2020

Appearing on a Time’s List

Union gets listed on Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list.

Why We Love Gabrielle Union

She turned trauma into strength
Union was a victim of sexual assault before her sophomore year at U.C.L.A. But now, she is one of the most vocal advocates of supporting and defending rape and assault victims.
She’s against toxic beauty standards
Growing up, Union used to have self-esteem issues because of the toxic beauty standards she was exposed to. However, she has fought against these standards and advocated for changing them so that little girls can grow secure in themselves.
She’s a great author
Union is an award-winning actress and a talented writer. She released four books from 2017 to 2021, and her first book, a memoir titled “We’re Going to Need More Wine,” was named one of the best books of the year.

5 Surprising Facts

She was great at sports
Union played soccer and ran track in high school, becoming an all-star point guard and a year-round athlete.
She was a cheerleader
In eighth grade, Union used to be a cheerleader at school.
She is bilingual
Union speaks Spanish and English fluently.
She had a different dream
Before finding her passion for acting, Union wanted to be a lawyer.
She is one of the ‘Hot 100’
Union was mentioned on “Maxim’s” ‘Hot 100’ lists in 2002, 2007, 2008, and 2014.

Gabrielle Union FAQs

Is Gabrielle Union older than her husband?

Union is older than Wade by nine years.

Who are Gabrielle Union’s children?

Her stepchildren from Wade’s previous relationship were Zaya, Zaire, and Xavier. The couple has a daughter born through surrogacy named Kaavia James Union Wade.