Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Gabrielle Union is more than just a basketball wife and deserves some respect on her name! A Florida news station clearly didn’t get this memo. WSVN 7 News released a tweet yesterday acknowledging Union’s charitable donation of $200,000 to a gun control rally, but unfortunately it was overshadowed by their failure to research the actress’ name.
The philanthropist and New York Times bestselling author, who was clearly dissatisfied with merely being referred to as Dwyane Wade‘s wife, clapped back at the news station letting them know that she does, in fact, have a name! The NAACP Image Award winner has been acting for at least 20 years, has appeared in more than 30 films over the course of her career and stars in the TV series Being Mary Jane. Additionally the 45-year old released the book We’re Going To Need More Wine last year.
The NBA player was quick to have his wifey’s back and chimed in saying, “It’s Gabrielle Union-Wade to be exact.”
The news station has since issued an apology for the tweets and re-wrote a correct tweet, but the larger issue at hand is accomplished women in the industry being validated by their status as a “mother” or “wife” rather than their success as an individual.
Tracee Ellis Ross, who ironically shares a birthday and is the same age as Union, spoke out about this last year at Glamour’s Women of The Year Summit saying that people often diminish her long-standing acting career and achievements because of the fact that she isn’t married and doesn’t have children. Check out the video below!
“I have built an incredible life. I have become a woman that I am proud to be,” said the Golden Globe winner. “And then someone tells me about their friend who adopted a child at 52 and how ‘it’s never too late for your life to have meaning,’ and my worth gets diminished as I am reminded that I have ‘failed’ on the marriage and carriage counts. Me! This bold, liberated, independent woman.”
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