‘Would’ve Passed Along Way Too Many Traumatic Things’: Gabrielle Union Says Becoming a Mother In Her Late 40s Saved Her Daughter from ‘Generational Trauma’

Gabrielle Union candidly opened up about becoming a mother “later in life,” which she describes as the best decision she could have made for her 4-year-old daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade. 

Union and her husband, former NBA player Dwyane Wade, welcomed their “Shady Baby” through surrogacy in 2018. The “Being Mary Jane” actress had just turned 46 years old. 

Trending Today:

On Thursday, Oct. 5, the acting veteran took to Instagram to share with her 21.6 million Instagram followers how often she gets asked if having a child in her late 40s was “worth it.” 

“There’s a lot that goes into that answer,” Union said. “But in a nutshell, h–l yeah it’s been worth it, it’s been… It’s changed my life in so, in so many wondrous ways.” 

Gabrielle Union explains why having a child at 46 saved her daughter from "generational trauma."
Gabrielle Union explains why having a child at 46 saved her daughter from “generational trauma.” (Pictured: @gabunion/Instagram)

The 50-year-old said having a child when she became older was such a blessing that she wished she’d done it sooner simply to “have even more time with Kaav.” 

Though Union wished she had been given a daughter earlier in life, she explained how unfair that would’ve been for the toddler due to her unhealed “trauma,” which wasn’t fully repaired until she reached her 40s.  

“I became a mom at the right time because I was healed and I had committed to healing eternally, so I didn’t pass all that generational trauma onto Kaav,” Union admitted. 

She continued noting that if she had had Kaav even one year before she did, “I would have passed along way too many traumatic things to my child.” 

“I wasn’t in a place to take care of myself much less our little miracle, so for me? It’s absolutely worth it,” Union confessed.

The video closed with the “Bring It On” star calling Kaav “the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Union has been open and honest about her challenging journey to motherhood. In her 2017 book “We’re Going to Need More Wine,” she revealed suffering from at least eight miscarriages. 

In addition to the traumatic experience of losing numerous babies, Union also previously discussed how certain experiences in her early life, such as sexual assault, turned her cold as she reached her early years of adulthood. 

However, “The Perfect Find” actress soon learned the importance of therapy and since then has voiced her gratitude for it.

She has previously credited “Martin” star Tisha Campbell for helping her realize that suffering in silence doesn’t have to be a person’s only option.

Read The Original Story Here.

Independent journalism still matters.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top