Gabrielle Union recently praised her husband, Dwyane Wade, for his unwavering support as she mourns the death of her father, explaining how difficult it is to deal with the death of loved ones.
For those unaware, Gabrielle’s father, Sylvester “Cully” Union Jr. died on April 3, 2026, at the age of 81. Notably, the exact cause of Coolie’s death is still unknown; However, he struggled with dementia for years and was in memory care since 2023.
On April 16, she appeared at the 2026 Tiffany & Co. Blue Book Gala, where she spoke People The magazine explained how her husband Dwayne, whom she married in 2014, helped her find strength during one of the most difficult phases of her life.
The 53-year-old American actress and model said of Dwayne, “You know, my dad and my husband were very close, and I don’t know, we just look at pictures and reminisce and he’s physically there when I’m collapsing.”
Notably, this confession comes after Gabrielle paid an emotional tribute to her late father on Instagram.
In his tribute he wrote, “No matter how much you think you know about dementia, nothing prepares you for the painfully slow disappearance of your loved one.”
“First it’s repeating words or forgetting little things here or there, then boom, he can’t swallow or walk. What you know gets smaller and smaller.”
“You anticipate constant eye contact or a smile; even a hand squeeze can make you feel like they could be ‘normal’ to you at any moment. It’s cruel and it’s what he experienced, but it wasn’t who he was,” bad boys 2 Star shared.
It’s worth mentioning that Gabrielle’s father always “loved music, traveling the world, and spending time with extended family and friends.”
