Who is Gabrielle Union’s father? All about the parents as actress opens up about caring for dad amid dementia diagnosis

Gabrielle Union, actress and entrepreneur, is known for her roles in the films She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You. During her onstage “Sisterhood & Savings” discussion at the American Black Film Festival held on June 12. Gabrielle talked about her father's dementia and her career opportunities.

Gabrielle Union's father, Sylvester Union, 80, was diagnosed with dementia, and she opened up about the diagnosis and his health via an Instagram post in October 2023, where she also shared that her father was placed in memory care. According to reports, her father was a manager at AT&T and also served in the military.

Talking about career choices and caring for her father, Gabrielle shared that,

“More recently, my father is in memory care. You know, nursing homes, what’s covered by insurance, what’s not, home health aids — like that all adds up and having to really be cognizant of an additional output, I have to go where the money goes.”

Furthermore, she also added that,

“I don't have the luxury of taking all the independent films that I want because I can’t afford to pay for my extended family in the way that they have grown accustomed to.”

Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade, born to Theresa Union and Sylvester Union on 29 October 1972, is a 52-year-old American actress who has appeared in movies like The Inspection (2022), Cadillac Records (2008), She's All That (1999), etc. Gabrielle is married to retired NBA player Dwyane Wade.

More about Gabrielle Union's parents

Gabrielle Union, as mentioned, was born to Sylvester Union and Theresa Union. According to the Encyclopedia of World Biographies, Sylvester Union also worked as a manager at AT&T along with Theresa. Theresa Union was also a social worker. According to Essentially Sports, though Gabrielle's father was away most of the time due to work, and her mother did most of the parenting in her childhood, she does share a close bond with her father.

Gabrielle Union herself stated that she was raised to be independent since she was a child, and how her mom taught her to have a world perspective and even took her to a pride parade when she was eight.

Furthermore, according to SheKnows, Union shared that her parents handled their divorce and transition into a "blended family" with "grace, dignity, and respect," which also helped her prepare to be a stepmom.

Recently, during Father's Day, Gabrielle Union shared a tribute to her father where she wrote,

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"My Dad, who is fighting dementia every day to hold onto his precious memories of his children and grandchildren and all the kids and adults he’s adopted as family along the way."

But the tribute wasn't solely for her father but also a tribute to her husband, Dwyane Wade, with whom she shares daughter Kaavia. Wade also has three other children from previous relationships: Zaire and Zaya with ex-wife Siovaughn Funches and Xavier with Aja Metoyer. Wade also has full custody of his nephew, Dahveon Morris.

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