Inside Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's 15-Year Love Story—and Its Surprising Beginning

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3 hours ago

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THE RUNDOWN
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade have been together for over 15 years. They met two years before they started dating, in 2007, but Union had just gone through a divorce from NFL star Chris Howard, while Wade was married to Siohvaughn Funches, with whom he shares his children, Zaya and Zaire. Wade also has a son, Xavier, from another relationship, and the couple welcomed their daughter Kaavia in 2018. They also serve as guardians to Wade's nephew Dahveon Morris.
With a big blended family to manage, Union and Wade speak frequently about their responsibilities to one another and their kids, even writing a children's book together. The actress told People in 2023 that they've both grown a lot from their previous relationships.
'This is both of our second marriages, and we're super transparent about that,' Union said. 'We didn't do it right the first time around. There's another way—to be more collaborative and equitable. We humble ourselves, listen, and we meet in the middle.'
Here's everything to know about their relationship so far.
Union told Essence, via E!, that they met when they were both asked to co-host a Super Bowl party in 2007, but they did not hit it off right away.
'I stayed on one side of the room with my people,' Union recalled. 'We like to party, and he doesn't drink at all. He was on the other side of the room holding bible study.'
In 2014, she told Glamour, 'When I met Dwyane, his résumé looked like crap: athlete, going through a divorce, nine years younger than me. None of that screamed, 'Let's have a lasting relationship.''
But after a 'heart-crushing breakup' with someone else she'd been dating, Union agreed to go on a date with him. Her perspective quickly changed.
Their first public event was on July 17, 2010, at the Summer Groove Benefit Dinner in Hollywood, Florida.
On July 19, Union was seen snuggling up to Wade at his All-Star basketball game in Miami.
They were both featured on the cover of Essence's February 2012 issue and were asked about engagement plans.
'We're not rushing it,' Wade shared. 'Both of us have been married before, and we understand that if we choose to marry again, we want it to be right. We both took failing at marriage hard. The next time it's gotta be forever.'
They took a break in early 2013 before ultimately reconciling. A year later, Union explained the situation to Glamour, saying, 'When Dwyane and I broke up briefly in 2013, it was because of distance and scheduling. I finished filming [Being Mary Jane], then I flew to Vegas right away to start shooting Think Like a Man Too. I couldn't take time off, and I missed some quality togetherness we desperately needed.'
She added, 'Over the summer, I reassessed priorities. I'd always wanted an awesome career with back-to-back projects, but I realized I wasn't willing to sacrifice my relationship for it. Moving forward, I decided my work schedule has to make sense for our family.'
When they were apart, Wade fathered a child with Aja Metoyerin.
Wade announced that they had gotten engaged with a post on Dec. 21, 2013, on Instagram.
He shared a picture of the massive diamond on Union's hand, writing in the caption, 'She said YES!!! @gabunion.'
During an interview with Good Morning America, Union talked about how his children helped him to propose.
'They were like, 'We wanna do a presentation for you.' They like to do skits and songs and stuff, so we turn around, and they're like, 'Okay, we're ready!' and I turned back around and all the boys were holding up signs that said, 'Will you marry us?'' she shared.
Apparently, the kids had asked her this before because they wanted her as a step-mom, so she thought they were messing around at first. But then she spotted Wade on one knee.
'And I was like, 'Oh, this is serious! This is a thing! Yes! Of course, yes!'' she recalled.
'I decided that she wasn't just marrying me, she was marrying all of us,' Wade later told Oprah. 'So I had them down by the pool, and I had them make their own signs. I had each one say, 'Will you marry us?' I took her outside to look at the water, and at first, she's like, 'What is going on?' I get behind her, and I get on a yoga mat because I couldn't put my knees down. I'm sitting there waiting for her to turn around and she's reading the boys' signs, and the boys said, 'Will you marry us?''
On the Arsenio Hall Show, Union was open about how they had negotiated a prenup ahead of the ceremony.
'The biggest difference between this and the last marriage will be a prenup—at my insistence,' she said. 'When you have your own stuff, you don't need to worry about anyone else's stuff. So everyone should go into the relationship knowing, 'I'm here for you, and you're here for me.' And the reality is I've never seen Dwyane balance a checkbook, so I gotta protect my stuff. It's the wave of the future.'
They were married on Aug. 30, 2014, in Miami. Union reportedly wore a Dennis Basso gown, and they were serenaded at the reception by John Legend.
They shared images from their epic honeymoon on Instagram, which included visits to the Maldives, a safari in the Serengeti, and the Seychelles islands.
Union has been quite open about their struggles with fertility as they worked to grow their family. In her book, We're Going to Need More Wine, Union wrote that she experienced a number of miscarriages due to adenomyosis, which affected the health of her uterus. They attempted IVF numerous times, to no avail.
'For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant—I've either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle,' she wrote.
Wade and Union ultimately welcomed their daughter Kaavia James on Nov. 7, 2018, via surrogate. They announced her arrival on Instagram, writing, 'A LOVELY DAY 👶🏾👶🏾👶🏾 We are sleepless and delirious but so excited to share that our miracle baby arrived last night via surrogate and 11/7 will forever be etched in our hearts as the most loveliest of all the lovely days.'
Talking to Oprah Winfrey, Union said of becoming a mom, 'We want her to understand that she was so loved, wanted, desired, protected, and nurtured when she was just a thought. We want her to know everything it took to bring her into this world, usually around the time she starts talking back. We want her to really understand what we went through.'
In 2020, Wade's daughter, Zaya, came out as transgender, and both her dad and step-mom have been very vocally supportive. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Wade explained, 'Zaya, our 12-year-old, came home and said, 'Hey, so I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward, I'm ready to live my truth. And I want to be referenced as she and her. I'd love for you guys to call me Zaya.''
He said more in an interview with People about the importance of supporting all his children for who they are.
'As I'm raising [Zaya], as I'm raising my kids, you just try to put them in the best situations to be able to succeed in life,' Wade shared. 'How I do that, and how me and my wife decide to do that, may be different than another family, but we want them to know there's always unconditional love, that it will always be support.'
He added, 'We've got you, no matter what. And we see you. I see you how you see you.'
Union also posted about Zaya's new name, introducing her on Twitter with a video and writing, 'Meet Zaya. She's compassionate, loving, whip-smart, and we are so proud of her. It's OK to listen to, love & respect your children exactly as they are. Love and light good people.'
Union's children's book, Welcome to the Party, was released in May 2020. The book was inspired by the couple's surrogacy journey to welcoming Kaavia.
'I wanted to create a love letter to my daughter to let her know that even though her entry into our family was a bit non-traditional, we love her and wanted her,' Union said to People. 'And she is celebrated.'
The couple was honored as part of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2020, in part for their LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Union has been very open about being a rape survivor and shared how PTSD from the assault has been a part of her life during the premiere episode of Facebook Watch's Peace of Mind with Taraji series with Taraji P. Henson. She discussed attending therapy during the pandemic and how the experience had influenced her relationship with Wade.
'I just feel a little bit more naked, exposed,' said Union. 'Because I am just on Zoom with the therapist and I can hear the household, and then the doors open...there is not enough space, you know what I mean, and that kind of worries me sometimes. You know when people are like, 'You gotta keep the mystery about yourself. Don't tell him everything.' I'm like, 'Well, shit then, the pandemic, you got the whole thing.''
Wade told People how he thinks he and Union make their marriage work after almost seven years of marriage.
'It's about learning about each other, learning what she wants for her life and for her career and trying to support all those things,' he said.
Union agreed, adding, 'This is both of our second marriages, and we're super transparent about that. We didn't do it right the first time around. There's another way—to be more collaborative and equitable. We humble ourselves, listen, and we meet in the middle.'
Wade and Union collaborated on their first book together in 2021, Shady Baby, also inspired by Kaavia James. Union often jokes about the expressions Kaavia makes on social media.
Writing for Time, Union talked about surrogacy again, admitting that she had always dreamed of experiencing pregnancy.
'I wanted the experience of being pregnant,' she wrote. 'To watch my body expand and shift to accommodate this miracle inside me.'
But Wade convinced her that surrogacy was the right choice, telling her, 'As much as we want this baby, I want you. We've lost too much in our relationship for me to be okay with encouraging you to do one more thing to your body and your soul.'
She also discussed Wade fathering a child when they were broken up years earlier.
'It should go without saying that we were not in a good place at the time that child was conceived,' Union shared. 'But we were doing much better when he finally told me about the pregnancy. To say I was devastated is to pick a word on a low shelf for convenience.'
She added, 'There are people—strangers I will never meet—who have been upset that I have not previously talked about that trauma. I have not had words, and even after untold amounts of therapy, I am not sure I have them now.'
They walked the red carpet at the Cheaper by the Dozen premiere. Their daughters Kaavia and Zaya joined them for the family film affair.
The couple stunned at the 2022 Met Gala in Versace looks and sparkling Tiffany & Co. jewelry. The theme that year was 'In America: An Anthology of Fashion.'
'Because when you think about the Gilded Age and Black and brown people in this country, this country is built off of our backs, our blood, sweat and tears,' Union said of her ensemble. 'So we added these red crystals to represent the blood spilled during the accumulation of gross wealth by a few during the Gilded Age, off of the backs of Black people and people of color in this country."
During their anniversary month, the couple took a trip to Spain. Union captioned a carousel of photos, 'It's begun. 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🛥🛥🛥#WadeWorldTour2022.'
Wade accompanied Union at the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of her film The Inspection.
That same month, they made a joint appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. Discussing their 'pet peeves' in their relationship, Wade said his was Union's backseat driving.
'My wife stopped driving a few years ago. She got into a few fender-benders,' he explained. 'I was all for it, so I drive. When she gets in the passenger seat, she tells me how to drive, all the time.'
Union had her own complaints.
'He snores,' she announced. 'But it's not just enough that he snores, he brings our dog, Trey, who's a little Frenchie, and they snore together. It's like a symphony of snoring.'
Wade marked Union's 50th birthday with a wrist tattoo of the outline of a heart next to the letters 'GU.' In a Reel on Instagram, Union looks delighted by the surprise.
'The moment you find out your man has made you his 17th tattoo. @dframeddanewade made his best bday surprise for #SouthAfrica WadeWorldTour2022 edition #Capetown Part 4,' Union wrote in the caption.
Union celebrated Wade's 41st birthday by throwing him a huge dinner attended by their closest friends and family, including celebrities Corey Gamble, Jemele Hill, Avery Wilson, Essence Atkins, and Queen Latifah.
'Any chance to celebrate you, know that I'll be the loudest one cheering!' the star wrote on a carousel of pics and videos on Instagram.
They walked the red carpet at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Los Angeles. Wade wore a Prada suit, and Union was dressed in Ralph Lauren.
Union made a revealing comment about her and Wade's finances during an interview on the Black Millionaires podcast, saying they split bills in the middle in their household.
'In this household, we split everything fifty-fifty,' she said, via People. 'But in the other households that each of us have to support, there's always this like, gorilla on your back, that's like, 'You better work, bitch, you better work. Oh, you're going to sleep in?' You know, somebody might not eat.'
Union added she maintains a 'scarcity mindset' from before she found success, saying, 'I think I just have more responsibilities for my money. I get nervous like, 'Oh God, that movie didn't open. Am I going to have enough to hold everybody up?''
Fans were seemingly very interested in Union's revelation, and Wade eventually discussed their finances on the Club Shay Shay podcast.
'I said something about it being my house that I paid for,' he told host Shannon Sharpe. 'My wife looked at me and said, 'You will never say that to me again when it's something that we share.' So when we moved to [Los Angeles], my wife said, 'I got half on it you will never say my house again—you can say that in the arena!''
During Wade's Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame acceptance speech, he called out Union.
'My wife, Gab, thank you for making our house a home,' he said. 'Thank you for making sure our kids feel seen, heard, and protected when I'm not around.'
Wade continued, 'Thank you for being on this journey with me these past 15 years. Thank you for learning to love my imperfections, just as much as we enjoyed and love the moments of perfection. I love you.'
Union celebrated Wade's birthday with a tribute on Instagram.
'You are a gift to me, your family and everyone you encounter,' the actress wrote. 'Your purpose is rooted in the divine. May the blessings on blessings rain down on you. Love you Bay.'
Union and Wade celebrated 10 years of marriage together.
The couple enjoyed a fun vacation in Martha's Vineyard.