What you need to know
Gabrielle Union would rather not be secretive about her plans for her upcoming 53rd birthday, or, as the Italians say, “acqua in bocca.”
Speaking to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview at the Peabody Trailblazer Awards ceremony honoring Questlove on Friday, October 10, the 52-year-old actress revealed that she plans to shoot a project in Italy when she turns 53 on October 29.
“I hope my husband will take me to the city,” Union said of her partner, former NBA star Dwyane Wade, 43, who is staying with her in Italy.
Gabrielle Union/Instagram
The entrepreneur added that celebrating his birthday with “a few cocktails” in a “very romantic, beautiful and fun city” would be “iconic”.
When asked how it feels to be “still that girl,” the Bring It On and Love & Basketball star laughed and gave an introspective, heartfelt answer.
“Am I that woman now?” she replies with a laugh. “I’m proud.”
“I’m proud of myself and I’m finally giving my younger self the grace to not be perfect and still be open to learning,” she explains.
Union continued, “My grandmother lived to be 110 years old, so I’ve been able to continue to be proud of myself for over 60 years.”
Gabrielle Union/Instagram
Union also recently celebrated the birthday of her father, Sylvester, who suffers from dementia and entered a memory care facility in 2023. In an Oct. 15 Instagram post, Union detailed her father’s special day.
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“Today is my father’s 81st birthday and I don’t think I have ever been more grateful to be his daughter,” she wrote. “It’s easy to love someone when you can communicate, joke and be affectionate, but it’s a blessing to still feel that love and connection even after you have dementia. Almost 🥰.”
“His eyes lit up when he saw me and (Wade) standing by his bedside. He still chuckles when his grandkids carry his bags. He’s still here and that’s enough,” Union said in part.
