Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade's romance didn't initially score a slam dunk with his family. The duo, who embarked on their journey together in 2009 after their respective first marriages came to an end, shared the skepticism that surrounded their relationship, particularly from Dwyane's older sister Tragil, who was wary due to Gabrielle being nine years his senior.
"When I first crossed paths with his family, the older sisters, who were closer to my age, were instantly welcoming," revealed Gabrielle during a joint appearance with Dwyane on Michelle Obama's IMO podcast on August 20. "We clicked in the hood. However, Tragil was a different story. She had always been the protector, the watchdog, the gatekeeper ensuring Dwyane stayed grounded and focused without any interference."
Gabrielle recounted how, until their wedding in 2014, Dwyane's sister Tragil and mother Jolinda needed convincing of their genuine bond. "In the early days, before I became 'the wife,' Tragil and his mom were probably thinking, 'What do you want? Who are you, this older lady? What's your angle?'" she shared.
The 52-year-old actress, who is mother to six-year-old Kaavia James with Dwyane, as well as Zaire, 23, and Zaya, 18, from his first marriage to Siohvaughn Funches (whom he has sole custody of), his son Zavier, 11, with Aja Metoyer, and his nephew Dahveon Morris, 21 (whom he gained full custody of in 2011), quickly addressed their concerns. She remembered saying, "We were both fresh out of divorces, so we were in a similar space. I didn't have kids at 20, I was still childless and in no rush, so I was cool. I had my own bank account, so I was set. I just liked him, and we'd see where it went."
In fact, those years of unease ultimately forged an even stronger bond between them than they might have otherwise had. "It took years to earn their trust and for them to earn mine, so we could all be comfortable and on the same page," explained Gabrielle. "Now, it's effortless because we're all aligned."
Ultimately, Gabrielle views the gradual warming of her husband's family towards her as a valuable lesson. "You give grace, you receive grace, but it's definitely a learning curve," she said.
