Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s daughter Kaavia James Union Wade shared a touching second throughout an intimate dialog for Individuals’s World’s Most Lovely difficulty.
However when 6-year-old Kaavia requested a considerate query concerning the “Being Mary Jane” star’s hair selections, her mother felt “triggered.” The heartfelt second gave readers a glimpse into their shut bond whereas additionally reminding a few of Union’s private journey along with her hair.
As Gabrielle Union and her daughter—affectionately nicknamed “Shady Child”—chatted casually about their lives, Kaavia shared a heartfelt tackle her mother’s type, calling it “fancy and ideal,” a praise that visibly touched Union.
“And why do you at all times like sporting wigs?” Kaavia requested throughout their considerate trade.
Her mother’s response was candid however poised, as she mentioned, “Ooh, triggered.”
“As a result of I like to modify it up. I like to modify up my look,” Union defined to her daughter.
She continued, “As a result of typically I need to have brief hair and typically I need to have lengthy hair, typically I need to have blonde hair. And with wigs, I can do all these various things and play all these completely different sorts of characters.”
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia are giving us all of the feels on this interview for Individuals Journal. 🥰💞
🎥 @individuals pic.twitter.com/q9XK0sA4Ur
— Spur Play (@spurplay) April 23, 2025
Behind Union’s varied hair transformations — together with her elegant “massive chop” in 2021 — was a non-public expertise with hair loss associated to perimenopause that few have been conscious of on the time.
In a revealing dialog shared in 2023, the “Cheaper By the Dozen” star disclosed that she started experiencing perimenopause at simply 37 years outdated, a lot sooner than anticipated.
“I used to be similar to, not me. I simply left the membership. That’s like an outdated girl factor,” Union confided to Individuals journal. Among the many varied modifications she navigated, hair loss emerged as significantly vital for her sense of self.
“All of it may well really feel very isolating and you’ll really feel like much less of a girl, particularly as a Black girl the place our hair is our crown,” she mirrored in her interview. “There’s actually the CROWN Act and I’m like, uh, my crown seems extra like a barrette at this second.”
When Union unveiled her pure hair on social media after sporting protecting types, she embraced her graying roots with attribute grace and humor, noting, “Welcome to outdated age, children.”
This authenticity displays her deeper dedication to self-acceptance and modeling constructive physique picture for Kaavia, encouraging her to acknowledge magnificence past typical requirements.
The Flawless Chop ✂️✂️✂️ @flawlesshairday 💜🧡💛💚💙@LarryJarahSims hair@RennyVasquez makeupShop https://t.co/YAZZCTkWkh pic.twitter.com/5ABjFVL8C0
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) June 22, 2018
Union’s relationship along with her hair has featured significant milestones that linked deeply along with her viewers, significantly when she launched her hair care line, Flawless By Gabrielle Union, in 2017, with a brief hairdo.
She relaunched in 2020, however when she selected to chop her hair once more in 2021 that call got here from a spot of contentment relatively than disaster.
“The flicks at all times present ladies slicing their hair when all is misplaced, however I wished to know the sensation of constructing a change when issues are gravy,” she shared thoughtfully on social media in July 2021.
Her willingness to debate extends past hair to her holistic expertise with menopause, together with scorching flashes, evening sweats, cognitive modifications, emotional shifts, and bodily transformations.
Gabrielle Union lower her hair very brief and explains why. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BI3nmaz2do
— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) July 24, 2021
At 52, Union has found simpler methods to handle her signs by means of an anti-inflammatory dietary strategy beneficial by a hormone specialist. She additionally, as a mother, spouse, and influencer, has mastered the best way to preserve her cool in interviews, sparing her daughter from the emotional baggage she carries round her hair.
All through the heartfelt interview, Union’s nurturing parental knowledge emerges naturally in dialog. When discussing cherished actions, Kaavia spoke fondly of their particular mother-daughter dates, whereas Union mirrored on the easy pleasure of household gatherings of their backyard.
All me. Grew out my relaxer @ 25 took care of my hair whereas wearin protecting hairstyles #Hairjourney #Flawlesshair pic.twitter.com/Pef7oNFf8F
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) March 4, 2017
Their assortment of matching pajamas, with The Little Mermaid units holding particular significance, earned particular point out amongst Kaavia’s treasured shared experiences.
Union’s parenting strategy facilities on honoring Kaavia’s independence and inventive expression.
“No matter you need do…Whether or not it’s make-up or hair or how she attire, it’s fully as much as her. It’s her physique. These are her selections,” Union affirmed.
This respectful philosophy naturally extends to Kaavia’s exploration of make-up artistry – with a specific affinity for mascara – and her enjoyment of attempting on her mom’s elegant excessive heels to really feel “tall like Angel Reese.”
By gracefully sharing each lighthearted moments along with her daughter and her private wellness journey, Union gives an inspiring portrait of recent motherhood, magnificence, and self-acceptance — embracing vulnerability whereas modeling power for each her daughter and her viewers.
