In the past week, actress Gabrielle Union shared some of the most sensitive, private struggles she has dealt with. The level of vulnerability the actress shared is unmatched. Addressing everything from infertility, black actresses, and actors being underpaid compared to their counterparts, the infamous baby husband, Dwayne Wade, fathered during their break and its effects on her mental health overall. Union has been a fixture in Black Hollywood since the 90s. Some of her most famous roles on television and film include Bring It On, Being Mary Jane, Bad Boys 2, Deliver Us From Eva, The Brothers, Think Like A Man.
In the relationship department, Gabrielle Union has had her fair share of difficulty, which she recently admitted during a sitdown with Essence, “I’m a divorced woman with a gang of relationship challenges,” insisting no one takes relationship advice from her. Union was first married to retired running back Chris Howard, which actress later admitted she was on a mission to ‘get the ring’ in her twenties. Union told People a few years ago, she knew the marriage was doomed after the former NFL player proposed to her with fried chicken. According to the Union, she arrived home from the spa to a rose petal path that led to the front door. To the actresses surprise, Howard was on one knee. ” He had a bucket of KFC on the floor, and he was eating KFC potato wedges with one hand while holding a ring in the other.” What makes the actress’s proposal even more interesting, not even 24 hours following the proposal, she discovered he was cheating on her. Years later, Gabrielle Union met Dwayne Wade, who she eventually married but not without facing many issues of their own. While the couple was on a ‘hiatus’ Dwayne Wade had a baby with one of his long-term friends, which absolutely ‘broke’ the actress. Just the other day, Union revealed the woman she is today wouldn’t have stayed in a relationship with Dwayne Wade after birthing child with another woman. After years of doing everything possible to give birth, it was a slap in Gabrielle Union’s face to find out her partner was expecting with someone else.
In her new book, Gabrielle Union addresses those issues. The actress became even more vulnerable during a piece in Time titled, “Gabrielle Union on Her Experience With Surrogacy.” On vulnerability, the actress reveals the very thing she thought was protecting her (pushing any softness away) was actually holding her back from being her best self.
Gabrielle Union deserves her flowers for her work with her new book, ‘You Got Anything Stronger.’ It’s not easy to show such vulnerability when you have millions of people already judging your every move. Also, addressing such a critical issue many women face, such as infertility in a way that’s relatable, understandable, and educational, is not easy. However, Gabrielle Union understands she has a platform, and it’s her responsibility to tell her story. Her new book, ‘You Got Anything Stronger’ is now a New York Times Bestseller.
