gabrielle union
There’s nothing like having a support system that not only shows up for your public wins but pours into you behind the scenes. And actress Tisha Campbell, 54 is a beaming example of that.
During a recent segment on the daytime talk show, The View, Gabrielle Union opened up about how the courage she gained to be transparent about life’s toughest moment was initially sparked. Union revealed that when she was 28 years old, she was blessed with the gift of therapy sessions from Martin star, Tisha Campbell — the purest investment into one’s well-being.
“I was lucky to come up with some OGs that were very transparent and they were very honest and they were not interested in watching me fail or flail,” Union shared during the episode. “Tisha Campbell paid for therapy for me. That was not covered by Sag Insurance by the way, out of pocket, like 10 sessions. That’s the one who really has your back.”
“So when I got into a position to where I have a pretty large platform and have microphones in my face every day, do I want to lie to the people?” Union continued. “Or do I want to share the information and resources and how I got out of the darkness and into the light?”
@shadowandact Did you know that Tisha Campbell paid for Gabrielle Union to go to therapy 🥹❤️ // 🎥: @The View #blackhollywood #letterboxd #gabrielleunion #tishacampbell #blackactresses #blackfilmtok #filmtok
Early this month, Campbell joined The View to promote her new sitcom Act Your Age alongside Yvette Nicole Brown and Kim Whitley. During their segment, host Whoopi Goldberg inquired about what promoted Campbell’s heartfelt act to Union.
“It’s funny ’cause I didn’t even think she would remember,” Campbell recalled. “It was just a moment in time for us and I was like ‘please just take this gift. I want you to have it,’ because I want her to win. I want my sisters to win.”
Campbell continued, “I want us all to win. There’s so many pitfalls, there’s so many things. The fame monster is an ugly, ugly thing that one can get addicted to. I really really wanted her to be okay, not that anything was wrong. It’s just that I wanted her to be supported.”
The recollection of the moment brought on an emotional reaction from Campbell, as she acknowledged that she shed tears while watching Union reflect on that significant exchange.
“It’s not a competition… but it is a support system that I wanted her to have,” Campbell shared.
Union first made mention of Campbell’s generous act during a 2021 interview with Bustlewhere she reflected on the growth she’s seen in herself from the age of 28 to now. “It was around that time when Tisha Campbell saw that I was struggling. She gifted me sessions with a therapist, who is my therapist to this day,” Union said.
“It might be one of the single greatest gifts anyone has ever given me,” Union told the platform.
Sometimes the greatest thing we can receive is the gift of being seen in our lowest moments. When we have people in our corner who want to see us grow and walk in our purpose, it not only helps us evolve, but allows us to share our stories in a way that will impact those behind us. We go so much further when we have a sisterhood and our community rallying behind us — in other words, get you a Tisha.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Phil McCarten/Getty Images
Here’s What Gabrielle Union’s NAACP Awards Speech Has Taught Us About The Importance Of Partnership
Gabrielle Union-Wade, in the history of Gabrielle Union-Wadeisms, has never stood down on any subject that she was passionate about. She has taken on Black women’s pay in Hollywood, human rights, and more.
And thankfully, in true Gabby fashion, her highly discussed recent NAACP President’s Award acceptance speech was no different, as she advocated on the front lines of her most personal in the name of family, a misunderstood LGBTQIA+ community, and her vows.
Yes ladies, her vows.
With her frustrations visible and lips quivering, Union bravely moved her husband to the side and took the moment to hold a mirror up to the event audience, home viewers, and media alike, whom she has collected years of criticism and harsh, eye-rolling scrutiny from.
“Black trans people are being targeted, terrorized, and hunted in this country. Every day, everywhere. And there’s rarely a whisper about it.”
She continued,
“This is a conversation worth having in ways that can actually build bridges — that don’t fan the flames of hatred or division, that don’t enable lawmakers or justice systems to look the other way when Black trans people are under attack. That don’t drive more young people to hate themselves or harm themselves. That don’t cost people their lives.”
As we know, Union-Wade is referring to trans daughter, Zaya Wade, whose family is ferociously known for publicly supporting, advocating, and loving, and even who both Gabby and Dwyane credit to being exactly who she is, no matter how misunderstood.
But as a woman who is married into a blended family, I couldn’t help but see her. And I don’t mean this in a literal sense, I mean truly see her. Being a woman who has not birthed their own children but has married into families where kids or teens are involved isn’t the path for many.
And that’s okay.
Who you are as a partner is often amplified in these cases, and you find yourself questioning who you are—many of us wouldn’t be good partners for certain people because of it. And despite the ridicule and criticism from the outside looking in, from people who mislabel or judge your parenting choices, you continue to show up.
Would you do the same for your partner?
Would you ignore the hate and combat willful ignorance, judgment, and beyond in the name of love?
Are you really about that life?
Think about it.
For Union-Wade, the decision to show up is an absolute non-negotiable, which she addressed on The Ellen Show, saying:
"With all of the love comes the hate too. It’s watching the love handle the hate that has been encouraging. We’re just loving and accepting our kids, which is not revolutionary. To some people it’s nuts. To us, it’s a little odd to get any kind of recognition for doing what you’re supposed to do, which is love and accept and embrace your kids.”
And with her husband right by her side, she adds, “I’m not standing on my own.”
How do you define a ‘partnership?’
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
Gabrielle Union Says She's Already Planning Her Funeral But Not For The Reasons You May Think
Planning your own funeral may sound morbid, but according to Gabrielle Union, it’s a must. The award-winning actress recently appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers to talk about her role in the drama Truth Be Told which stars Octavia Spencer. However, the conversation took a turn when she revealed that she was already planning her own funeral. But in true Gabrielle Union fashion, the producer and mother gave a hilarious yet brilliant explanation as to why.
“Going to a lot of bad funerals,” she says as the reason behind already prepping her funeral. “It’s kind of like when me and my husband were getting married, like the couple summers before we got married, we were at other people’s weddings like ‘not that, never that, nope, nope, nope.’ So it led me to think, I feel like I need to plan my funeral like down to the smallest detail.”
One of those details includes having her choice of photos to be used on the program. “So I’ve chosen all of the sexiest photos. If I die at 88, I don’t want to be 88 on the program. You give me my thirst traps,” she says playfully. “All my best material.”
Another must-have for Gabrielle’s funeral is having a lively (pun intended) playlist. “But like, I’ve got playlists that they have. Like food, like I want a good funeral.”
However, constantly updating the playlist with new songs that come out has become a task of its own. “Now we have a lot of Beyoncé from the latest [album]. You have to constantly update.”
We all know that funerals are generally planned by family members, loved ones, or those you were close to but that doesn’t always mean they know what’s best. According to the Bring It On star, family doesn’t always know the real you. “I think we think we are closer to people than we actually are,” she says. “Have you ever heard yourself described by a family member? And you’re like, do you know me?"
While planning your own funeral or memorial service may not sound like a priority especially when you are under the age of 35, a 2019 survey shows that 19% of 18-34-year-olds have begun planning their own funeral after the loss of a loved one. So, it appears that Gabrielle may be on to something.
Gabrielle Union Reveals Why She's Already Planning Her Own Funeral
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Saturday, June 11 is Global Wellness Day which is a day that celebrates “living well,” according to the website. The Global Wellness Day organization shared that this year’s theme is #ThinkMagenta which is said to be a reminder about positivity in a world that can sometimes be negative, especially lately. For Global Wellness Day, the organization will host a three-hour Livestream featuring keynote speakers in wellness, holistic wellness, yoga, and more.
While wellness isn’t new, a lot of people have become more conscious about taking care of their mental, physical and emotional health. From getting eight hours of sleep, going to therapy, or simply introducing one healthy food item a day, prioritizing wellness is easier than we think. There have even been a number of celebrities who have spoken about the importance of their wellness and how it has had a favorable impact on their career and life.
In honor of the holiday, we’ve highlighted a few of our favorite celebrities who have shared their best wellness tips over the years.
Big Sean
Big Sean has been vocal about his mental health struggles and over the last few years, the Detroit rhymer has been focused on bettering himself and the people who follow him. During his March 2022 interview on Jay Shetty’s podcast, Sean shared how he uses meditation to help change his thinking.
“I change my meditations up frequently. I do mantra meditations sometimes and sometimes I do just guided meditations that are specifically for me. Maybe for that week, things that I, not necessarily trying to accomplish but things that I put in my consciousness,” he said. “Things that I want to approach right, but most importantly it gets me right for the day. It’s like taking a shower after you work out and you take that shower and feeling fresh. That’s what it does for my consciousness, my energy and things just flow better.”
Issa Rae
In the Women’s Health April 2019 issue, Issa Rae opened up about her fitness and admitted that she didn’t always have the mindset to take care of her body until she saw herself on TV.
"I exercise for, like, an hour each day," she said. "My neighborhood has a bunch of hills. I alternate between walking and jogging. I hate jogging – you're going in circles, but I recognize that it helps."
While she typically enjoyed listening to music on her jogs, one mishap led her to appreciate the quiet. "You know those earbuds that you put in your ears? I was running, and one fell,” she added. “It was dark outside and I couldn't find it. So I was forced to be alone with my thoughts, and I was like, 'Oh, I need to do this more often.' Those moments are the most creative."
Karamo Brown
Queer Eye star Karamo Brown opened up about how he breaks through moments of darkness in an interview with Mashable. "It's very much like...thank you for trying and doing all you could do because sometimes it's all you can do," he said. "I forgive myself for the things that maybe I thought that I should have been doing."
He added, "I think that in those moments, something that I tell people is that it's okay to say to people, 'I need you to love me a little bit louder today.'"
Laverne Cox
As a trans person and advocate for trans rights, Laverne Cox has faced adversity that began to take a toll on her mental health. The actress, who just celebrated her 50th birthday, opened up to Health about how she takes care of her mental health even with so much oppression.
“Well, one way is to unplug from the news sometimes. And I've learned that I have to lean into my joy,” she said. “One of the six skills of the Community Resiliency Model, which is a process developed through the Trauma Research Institute, is resourcing. And resourcing is just really about that thing that makes you feel good in your life. It might be a song. It might be the thought of a person. I'll think about my boyfriend cooking breakfast for me and I just light up inside.”
“We have to lean into those things that bring us joy. And the things that don't, we need to let them go to protect our mental health.”
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey has multiple platforms such as her Super Soul Sunday podcast and OMagazine where she dedicates herself to bringing awareness about living better and achieving happiness and peace. In a letter to her O Magazine readers, the legendary talk show host shared how she practices self-care.
"I always give myself Sundays as a spiritual base of renewal — a day when I do absolutely nothing. I sit in my jammies or take a walk and I allow myself time to BE — capital B-E — with myself," she said.
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union has had her fair share of hardships from surviving rape to struggling with fertility and so the actress knows when and when not to be strong. The actress spoke with Forbes about women standing in their power.
“Sometimes you forget that it takes strength to center yourself, that’s not being selfish that’s being strong,” she said. “Because you cannot be strong for everyone else and be of service to everyone else when you have literally left nothing for yourself. So, be strong for yourself, advocate for yourself to center yourself. Because without that, it's hard to be superwoman.”
LeBron James
NBA superstar and recent billionaire LeBron James isn’t one of the best players in the league for any reason. The Los Angeles Lakers star shared in an interview with The Tim Ferriss Show how sleep helps him be on top of his game.
“That’s the best way for your body to physically and emotionally be able to recover and get back to 100 percent as possible,” he said. “Now, will you wake up and feel 100 percent? There are some days you don’t. So some days you feel better than others. But the more, and more, and more time that you get those eight – if you can get nine, that’s amazing.”
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Leon Bennett/Getty Images
Beyoncé’s last album may have been called Lemonade, but her latest investment is all about lemon water. The Houston native was announced as one of the newest investors for Lemon Perfect, which is organic, cold-pressed lemon water. Beyoncé joined the company’s $31M Series A funding round along with other capital ventures.
She talked about the exciting investment move in a statement. “I don’t typically enjoy drinks without added sugar, but Lemon Perfect is delicious,” she said. “It was an easy decision to invest in something that not only tastes great and is healthy, but also, and most importantly, allows choosing a healthier lifestyle to be affordable and accessible to everyone.”
The “Halo” singer has made several big investments over the years that only further prove how bossy she truly is. She invested in Parisian accessories and ready-to-wear firm Destree, Sidestep, which is an app for purchasing concert merchandise, Uber, and of course Tidal, which is her husband Jay-Z’s music streaming app. She also invested in her company Parkwood Entertainment as well as investment properties.
As you can imagine, Yoncé isn’t the only celebrity who likes to invest. Here’s a list of other celebrity investments.
Rihanna
Rihanna isn’t a billionaire for any reason. Just like Beyoncé, the mom-to-be has also invested in Destree and Tidal, but she also has investments in her companies Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty.
Serena Williams
Tennis great Serena Williams created her own investment firm called Serena Ventures where she prides herself on investing in minority-owned companies. So far, they have invested in over 61 companies including Impossible Foods and CoinTracker.
Ciara
Ciara is getting “1, 2 Step” to the bank with her investments. She and her husband Russell Wilson are investors and co-owners of Ten to One rum, and together they invested $1.75M in a Seattle charter school. The singer is also the owner of her entertainment company Beauty Marks.
Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union has invested in many companies and is helping her daughter Kaavia earn financial wealth in the process. The mother and daughter duo invested in Angel City Football Club. The actress and her husband Dwyane Wade have also invested in and are co-owners of the baby line Proudly and children’s clothing line Janie and Jack.
Naomi Osaka
When Naomi Osaka isn’t on the tennis court, she is making smart money moves. She invested in sports technology and gaming company, StatusPro, salad chain Sweetgreen, and the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TIDAL
Gabrielle Union And Dwyane Wade Launch Baby Products Inspired By Daughter Kaavia
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s daughter Kaavia is the gift that keeps on giving. She has become an internet sensation over the years due to her facial expressions, which garnered her the nickname “shady baby” and now she’s on her way to changing the baby care market for the better. The award-winning actress and her NBA champion beau teamed up with dermatologist Dr. Naana Boakye to launch their highly-anticipated baby care line PROUDLY. The line is catered to babies with darker skin tones, which historically hasn’t been the case in the niche industry.
“These products are meant to fill a gap for parents of color, like ourselves, by offering them intentionally developed formulas that put our children’s needs at the core,” the couple said in a statement. “Our hope is that for the first time ever, parents of children of color don’t need to spend money on products that aren’t effective or worry about what might irritate their children’s skin. We’ve done the work so they don’t have to.”
In an interview with Scary Mommy, the L.A.’s Finest star revealed that they have been working on the line since Kaavia was a few months after a diaper rash experience.
“We started when Kaav was only a few months old and PROUDLY is just now coming to fruition,” she said. “We took our time to build the company, not just the products, but the company in a FUBU style. Our company, our board, our investor deck actually look like our consumers, full of people of color, full of parents of color, because we wanted something different for our own kids. And it really addresses the unique skincare needs of melanated children.”
PROUDLY is a plant-based line and its containers are made of recycled materials. The line includes products such as a balm, baby wipes, hydrating lotion, oils, and a gentle baby wash. And yes, Kaavia uses the products.
“She is our guinea pig," Gabrielle toldPEOPLE. "Testing out the sprays, like the lavender room spray, she was like, ‘Oh, this is nice.’ She is all about her nighttime routine that we have set from when she was firstborn. [...] She knows she wants her oils. She knows she wants her hair products. She has a routine that she does not like to deviate from. She was loving all of the products and the smells."
Get it Kaavia!
PROUDLY comes on the heels of Kaavia’s clothing collection Janie and Jack.
Featured image by Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com
