Quote from Oladosun Joshua Segun on April 6, 2026, 4:20 AM

After a devastating loss, Gabrielle Union is in sorrow. The former cast member of Being Mary Jane revealed that her father, Sylvester "Cully" Union Jr., died on April 3 following a protracted fight with dementia. He was eighty-one.

Gabrielle, 53, said in an Instagram post that her father's illness was "what he experienced, but it wasn't who he was" and that it was a "painfully slow disappearing."

“It’s bewildering to feel relief that the pain has ended, but profound heartbreak at the finality of his time,” in the April 4 post, she stated. “I know I’m not the first or last Daddy’s girl to go through this, and I’m sending love and healing to anyone suffering the loss of a parent. I know his love is eternal and will find me in every realm.”

Gabrielle praised the late patriarch as "the life of EVERY party" who was "surrounded by love" everywhere he went—and freely offered it in return—alongside a montage of special times spent with Sylvester.

“I swear he never met a stranger, just friends he hadn’t met yet,” she added. “A lifelong, die-hard Nebraska fan, he taught me the values of teamwork, a fierce work ethic, and that you are only as strong as your weakest link, so tend to them first.”

The Bring It On actress also acknowledged that her father "was a perfectly imperfect man and father," but she gave him credit for his commitment to improving himself.

“Over time he evolved, acknowledged his imperfections, apologized and made amends for as long as it took for the hurts to heal,” she clarified. “He made it his business to look after everyone. He loved our friends too and treated them like his sons and daughters. No one was ever left behind or unseen.”

Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle's husband, also honored his late father-in-law by sharing his wife's post on his own Instagram Stories and saying, "Thank you for all the memories pops [love] you," in an on-screen message.