During a June 12 appearance at the American Black Film Festival in Miami, veteran actress Gabrielle Union provided some insight on how her father’s dementia diagnosis had impacted her monetary decisions in her career.
In 2023 the 52-year-old touched on her father Sylvester Union’s medical condition and revealed that they had to place him in memory care that year. She also said that came after he was diagnosed with dementia a “few years back.”
“More recently, my father is in memory care,” Union told the audience during the session titled Sisterhood & Savings: A Conversation with Gabrielle Union, PEOPLE reported. “You know, nursing homes, what’s covered by insurance, what’s not, home health aids — like that all adds up and having to really be cognizant of an additional output, I have to go where the money goes.”
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“I don’t have the luxury of taking all the independent films that I want because I can’t afford to pay for my extended family in the way that they have grown accustomed to,” the Think Like A Man star said. “I have to factor in endorsements and brands and brand building. When you see celebrities have fifty ‘leven jobs, there’s a reason.”
Union also disclosed she and her colleagues “don’t get paid what y’all think that we get paid, and that check is split so many ways.”
She added: “You have to have multiple revenue streams to do the job that you really love. So it kind of depends on what I’ve made that year on how creative I can be — and that’s a damn shame, but that’s reality.”
On Father’s Day, Union took to social media to celebrate her father and husband Dwyane Wade. “Happy Father’s Day to my two favorite Dads. My Dad, who is fighting dementia every day to hold onto his precious memories of his children and grandchildren and all the kids and adults he’s adopted as family along the way,” the Bring It On star wrote.
“And my husband who fights daily for the freedom, rights, opportunities and peace of his children and others around the world. Cheers to great Dads.”
In October, Union similarly touched on her father’s dementia diagnosis in a post to celebrate his 80th birthday, PEOPLE reported.
“My Dad has dementia. He definitely thinks Dwyane is still playing for the Heat but otherwise remembers quite a bit. He remembers all the great times he spent in Hawaii, so we brought some Hawaii to my Dad,” she wrote. “He remembers his love of Crown Royal and missing his friends and being able to just hang out and talk sh*t, so his friends showed up and showed out.”
“What dementia has robbed him of, his heart and soul have recovered,” she added. “When my Dad saw me, he said, ‘I really love you.’ And I said, ‘I love you too Dad.’ Then he replied, ‘How’s your Mom?’ And with the gas face, I simply said, ‘Sir ????????.’ He then asked if I was happy and I told him I was. He nodded and with a grin asked, ‘You not taking no sh*t are you?’ And I said, ‘Never.’ He told me he loved me again and that interaction stayed with me all day and made me pretty emotional.”
She continued: “It all just reminds me to be a good, loyal friend, a great neighbor, prioritize your family, have a spirit of adventure and don’t take no sh*t. And always show up and show love. Happy Birthday Dad! I love you ❤️.”
READ ALSO: Gabrielle Union on why she felt ‘entitled’ to cheat in her first marriage
