Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s Relationship Timeline

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade have never been afraid to keep it real when it comes to their relationship.

The couple met in February 2007 but didn’t start dating for another two years. When they first crossed paths, Union had recently divorced her first husband, former NFL player Chris Howard, and Wade was still married to his then-wife, Siohvaughn Funches, with whom he shares two children, Zaya and Zaire.

Union and Wade went public with their relationship in 2010 and tied the knot in 2014. Union became a stepmom to Wade’s two children with Funches, and his son Xavier. Wade is also the guardian of his nephew Dahveon Morris. In November 2018, the couple welcomed their first child together: daughter Kaavia James.

From raising their blended family to co-authoring a children’s book together, here’s everything to know about Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s relationship.

February 4, 2007: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade meet for the first time at a Super Bowl party

Johnny Nunez/Getty

To hear Union tell it, when the couple first met at a Super Bowl party in 2007, where they were both tapped to co-host, it was hardly love at first sight. According to E! News, Union told Essence that sparks weren’t exactly flying when the two first crossed paths.

“I stayed on one side of the room with my people,” Union recalled. “We like to party and he doesn’t drink at all. He was on the other side of the room holding bible study.”

In 2014, she got even more candid about their initial interaction, telling Glamour, “When I met Dwyane, his résumé looked like crap: athlete, going through a divorce, nine years younger than me. None of that screamed, ‘Let’s have a lasting relationship.’ ”

However, after going through a “heart-crushing breakup,” Union decided to give Wade a chance.

July 17, 2010: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade take their romance public

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for GQ

Union and Wade first started dating in 2009, but they didn’t appear together publicly until July 2010. The duo posed for photos together at the Summer Groove Benefit Dinner in Hollywood, Florida. Just two days later, the couple was seen engaging in a little courtside PDA at Wade’s All-Star basketball game at Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena.

January 24, 2012: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade pose for the cover of Essence

The couple appeared on the February 2012 cover of Essence together, but they weren’t hearing wedding bells just yet.

“We’re not rushing it,” Wade told the magazine. “Both of us have been married before, and we understand that if we choose to marry again, we want it to be right. We both took failing at marriage hard. The next time it’s gotta be forever.”

January 2013: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade briefly split

John Shearer/Getty Images

In early 2013, the couple briefly parted ways due to their busy schedules.

The Bring It On alum got candid about their split the following year, telling Glamour, “When Dwyane and I broke up briefly in 2013, it was because of distance and scheduling. I finished filming [Being Mary Jane], then I flew to Vegas right away to start shooting Think Like a Man Too. I couldn’t take time off, and I missed some quality togetherness we desperately needed … Moving forward, I decided my work schedule has to make sense for our family.”

It was later revealed that Wade had fathered a child with Basketball Wives star, Aja Metoyerin, during the couple’s break.

December 21, 2013: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade announce their engagement

Dwayne Wade, Gabrielle Union.
Shareif Ziyadat/FilmMagic

Wade shared the same photo with the caption, “She said YES!!! @gabunion.”

As Union later recounted on Good Morning America, the basketball star had recruited his kids to be part of the proposal.

“They were like, ‘We wanna do a presentation for you.’ They like to do skits and songs and stuff, so we turn around, and they’re like, ‘Okay, we’re ready!’ and I turned back around and all the boys were holding up signs that said, ‘Will you marry us?’ ” Union said, admitting that she didn’t think the proposal was “serious” at first, since Wade’s children had been asking the couple to get married for two years.

Then she says she saw Wade down on one knee with a ring in his hand. “And I was like, ‘Oh, this is serious! This is a thing! Yes! Of course, yes!’ ” she recalled.

February 2014: Gabrielle Union gets candid about the couple’s prenup

On the Arsenio Hall Show, Union admitted that it was important to her for the couple to sign a prenup before their nuptials.

“The biggest difference between this and the last marriage will be a prenup — at my insistence,” she said. “When you have your own stuff, you don’t need to worry about anyone else’s stuff. So everyone should go into the relationship knowing, ‘I’m here for you and you’re here for me.’ And the reality is I’ve never seen Dwyane balance a checkbook, so I gotta protect my stuff. It’s the wave of the future.”

August 30, 2014: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade get married in Miami, Florida

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union on their wedding day with his kids and nephew in 2014.
© Bob Metelus

On August 30, 2014, the couple married during an intimate wedding in Miami, surrounded by their family and friends. Union previously told Arsenio Hall that they planned their wedding to be a family affair through and through, including “no bridesmaids, no groomsmen. It’s just us and the kids. And we’re just riding out, just us.”

August 31, 2014: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade go on a globetrotting honeymoon

Just a day after exchanging vows, the newlyweds chronicled their three-part honeymoon on Instagram, spending time on a “deserted island” in the Maldives before going on safari in Africa’s Serengeti. Their final stop was in the Seychelles islands.

October 2017: Gabrielle Union opens up about their fertility struggles

In a PEOPLE exclusive excerpt from her book, We’re Going to Need More Wine, Union opened up about the fertility issues she’d been struggling with for years, experiencing “eight or nine miscarriages” due to adenomyosis, a uterine condition similar to endometriosis.

“For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant — I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle,” she wrote.

Despite her struggles, however, Union said that she and Wade “remain bursting with love and ready to do anything to meet the child we’ve both dreamed of.”

November 7, 2018: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade welcome their first child together

On Nov. 7, 2018, Union and Wade welcomed their first child together via surrogate. The couple announced the birth of their daughter Kaavia James on Instagram, sharing sweet photos from her arrival.

“A LOVELY DAY 👶🏾👶🏾👶🏾 We are sleepless and delirious but so excited to share that our miracle baby arrived last night via surrogate and 11/7 will forever be etched in our hearts as the most loveliest of all the lovely days,” they both captioned their respective posts.

Of her daughter’s journey into the world, the She’s All That star told Oprah Winfrey in December 2018: “We want her to understand that she was so loved, wanted, desired, protected, and nurtured when she was just a thought,” Union said. “We want her to know everything it took to bring her into this world, usually around the time she starts talking back. We want her to really understand what we went through.”

November 27, 2019: Dwyane Wade supports Gabrielle Union amid her America’s Got Talent departure

After her controversial departure from AGT, Wade publicly defended his wife in a series of tweets, writing that he was proud of Union for “standing up for what she stands for.”

Union had alleged that she was fired from the show due to “her refusal to remain silent in the face of a toxic culture.” In September 2020, the actress and NBC announced they had “reached an amicable resolution.”

February 11, 2020: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade publicly support daughter Zaya

Dwyane Wade, Zaya Wade and Gabrielle Union.
Andrew Toth/Getty

After Wade’s daughter Zaya came out as transgender, both he and Union supported her publicly and privately during her personal journey.

Wade opened up about the moment Zaya came out during an interview with Ellen DeGeneres. “Zaya, our 12-year-old, came home and said, ‘Hey, so I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward, I’m ready to live my truth. And I want to be referenced as she and her. I’d love for you guys to call me Zaya,’ ” he said.

In a PEOPLE exclusive interview that same month, the proud dad got candid about loving and supporting all of his children exactly as they are. “As I’m raising [Zaya], as I’m raising my kids, you just try to put them in the best situations to be able to succeed in life,” Wade shared. “How I do that, and how me and my wife decide to do that, may be different than another family, but we want them to know there’s always unconditional love, that it will always be support.”

“We’ve got you, no matter what. And we see you,” he added. “I see you how you see you.”

Union also made a statement on Twitter, writing: “Meet Zaya. She’s compassionate, loving, whip-smart and we are so proud of her. It’s OK to listen to, love & respect your children exactly as they are. Love and light good people.”

Zaya sharing her story marked the beginning of the Union-Wade family’s public LGBTQ advocacy, for which they were honored as part of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

May 6, 2020: Gabrielle Union releases a children’s book celebrating surrogacy

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade with daughter Kaavia.
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty

On May 6, 2020, Union released a children’s book, Welcome to the Party, inspired by the couple’s daughter Kaavia.

“I wanted to create a love letter to my daughter to let her know that even though her entry into our family was a bit non-traditional, we love her and wanted her,” Union told PEOPLE. “And she is celebrated.”

December 14, 2020: Gabrielle Union reveals she experiences PTSD after sexual assault

During the premiere episode of Facebook Watch’s Peace of Mind with Taraji series with Taraji P. Henson, Union opened up about being a rape survivor and the PTSD she has suffered as a result.

“We are so conditioned that we know what someone looks like who has suffered from PTSD, we believe we know what rape victims look like and it’s not me,” she shared.

Union also discussed how her PTSD has impacted her relationship with Wade, particularly when she was attending therapy sessions at home during the pandemic.

“I just feel a little bit more naked, exposed,” said Union, who has been in therapy since she was 19. “Because I am just on Zoom with the therapist and I can hear the household, and then the doors open and … there is not enough space, you know what I mean, and that kind of worries me sometimes. You know when people are like, ‘You gotta keep the mystery about yourself. Don’t tell him everything.’ I’m like, ‘Well, s— then, the pandemic, you got the whole thing.'”

She continued, “So you have to find out: ‘Do you love me for all of … the baggage?’ ”

April 29, 2021: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade share what makes their marriage work

Rich Fury/Getty Images

Ahead of the couple’s seven-year wedding anniversary, Wade spoke to PEOPLE about what makes his marriage with Union work.

“It’s about learning about each other, learning what she wants for her life and for her career and trying to support all those things,” he said.

Union echoed those sentiments, adding, “This is both of our second marriages, and we’re super transparent about that. We didn’t do it right, the first time around. There’s another way — to be more collaborative and equitable. We humble ourselves, listen and we meet in the middle.”

May 18, 2021: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade release a children’s book together

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade with daughter Kaavia.
Gabrielle Union/Instagram

The couple released Shady Baby, their first-ever book collaboration inspired by daughter Kaavia James, whose sassy side-eye is regularly documented on social media.

September 12, 2021: Gabrielle Union opens up about the “hard truth” of her surrogacy journey

In an honest essay for Time, the Cheaper by the Dozen star reflected on how much she wanted to be pregnant herself, sharing, “I wanted the experience of being pregnant. To watch my body expand and shift to accommodate this miracle inside me.”

It was Wade who ultimately changed her mind about surrogacy. “As much as we want this baby, I want you,” she recalled him telling her. “We’ve lost too much in our relationship for me to be okay with encouraging you to do one more thing to your body and your soul.”

She also spoke about the “trauma” of learning about Wade fathering a child during their split. “It should go without saying that we were not in a good place at the time that child was conceived,” Union wrote. “But we were doing much better when he finally told me about the pregnancy. To say I was devastated is to pick a word on a low shelf for convenience.”

She added, “There are people — strangers I will never meet — who have been upset that I have not previously talked about that trauma. I have not had words, and even after untold amounts of therapy I am not sure I have them now.”

March 16, 2022: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend the Cheaper by the Dozen premiere

Gabrielle Union/Instagram

To celebrate Union’s role in the Cheaper by the Dozen remake, the couple stepped out with their daughters Kaavia and Zaya at the movie’s L.A. premiere.

“Family Over Everything. #CheaperByTheDozen,” Union captioned a photo of the foursome posing before the event.

May 2, 2022: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend the 2022 Met Gala

Arturo Holmes/Getty

Union and Wade hit the 2022 Met Gala red carpet in complimentary looks, both donning Versace ensembles paired with Tiffany & Co. jewelry. Union sparkled in a silver, plunging gown from the Italian fashion house with a stunning embellished feathered train and a red floral accent around her waist. She got teary eyed while explaining the inspiration behind the dress.

Referencing this year’s theme for the Met Gala: “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” or “Gilded Glamour,” the Union said, “Because when you think about the Gilded Age and Black and brown people in this country, this country is built off of our backs, our blood, sweat and tears. So we added these red crystals to represent the blood spilled during the accumulation of gross wealth by a few during the Gilded Age, off of the backs of Black people and people of color in this country.”

Union then saluted late iconic and trailblazing actress Diahann Carroll, who died in 2019 at 84, adding, “So this is inspired by Diahann Carroll, a symbol of opulence and if you will, a gilded glamor.”

August 19, 2022: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade share steamy pictures from their child-free vacation

In a carousel of Instagram photos, Union shared sultry snaps of her and Wade on a yacht while vacationing in Spain. One photo features Wade playfully nestled in Union’s chest, while a second shows the former athlete snapping his own photo with a digital camera. The post, which Wade shared to his own story, also includes a steamy photo of Union leaning up against Wade on the boat’s railing.

Union captioned the photos with, “It’s begun. 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸🛥🛥🛥#WadeWorldTour2022.”

Earlier in the week, Union made it clear the romantic outing was a kids-free trip, sharing a hilarious video of her and Wade’s 3-year-old daughter Kaavia James being told she wasn’t joining the lovebirds on their vacation.

In the video, Kaavia made snarky faces as Union said in a voiceover: “When your child finds out that you’re going on vacation but they’re not invited.” Union laughed and added, “Stay mad, Jan, stay mad.”

September 8, 2022: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of her new film

Dressed to the nines, Union and Wade attended the premiere of The Inspection at TIFF. The couple walked the red carpet together in black ensembles: Wade wore a tuxedo with silk lapels, while Union stunned in a sleeveless gown with a thigh-high slit.

The Inspection stars Union, who plays the mother of a gay man attempting to become a marine.”This is the most important work I’ve ever done, and the most challenging work I’ve ever done,” she said in an interview on Instagram. “I’m very excited to deliver our baby to the world.”

September 20, 2022: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade appear on The Kelly Clarkson Show

While chatting with Kelly Clarkson, Union and Wade candidly (and lovingly) shared their relationship pet peeves.

Wade kicked it off by saying that Union’s constant backseat driving drives him nuts.

“My wife stopped driving a few years ago. She got into a few fender-benders,” he explained. “I was all for it, so I drive. When she gets in the passenger seat, she tells me how to drive, all the time.”

Union then jumped in to tell Clarkson about Wade’s snoring.

“He snores. But it’s not just enough that he snores, he brings our dog, Trey, who’s a little Frenchie, [into the bedroom], and they snore together,” she said. “It’s like a symphony of snoring.”

November 11, 2022: Gabrielle Union shares Dwyane Wade’s romantic new ink

Union shared a video of herself reacting to Wade’s new wrist tattoo, which served as a sweet surprise to mark her 50th birthday. In the clip, Union shows Wade’s ink, which features the outline of a heart next to her initials “GU.” The actress then smiles in the tattoo parlor and walks over to kiss her husband.

“The moment you find out your man has made you his 17th tattoo. @dframeddanewade made his best bday surprise for #SouthAfrica WadeWorldTour2022 edition #Capetown Part 4,” Union wrote in the caption.

December 1, 2022: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend opening night of Ain’t No Mo’ in New York City

Union and Wade attended opening night of the Broadway show Ain’t No Mo’ at the Belasco Theatre. The Bring It On star, who helped produce the play, stunned in a black Giorgio Armani dress, while Wade looked effortlessly handsome in a Canali jacket and maroon pants.

“Had to show up and show OUT for opening night of @aintnomobway. So proud to be a producer on this new play by Jordan E. Cooper, presented by @leedaniels. It is like nothing Broadway has ever seen,” Union wrote on Instagram.

January 23, 2023: Gabrielle Union throws Dwyane Wade a 41st birthday bash

Union hosted an evening of dinner and dancing in honor of Wade’s birthday. The guest list included Corey Gamble, Essence Atkins and Queen Latifah.

“Any chance to celebrate you, know that I’ll be the loudest one cheering!” the Bring It On star captioned a series of photos and videos from the birthday bash on Instagram.

March 12, 2023: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend the Vanity Fair Oscars party

Alberto Rodriguez/Variety/Getty

The couple were dressed to the nines for the Vanity Fair party in Los Angeles. Next to Wade, who donned a Prada suit, Union dazzled in a plunging black gown by Ralph Lauren.

May 1, 2023: Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade attend the Met Gala

Jamie McCarthy/Getty

The couple arrived at the 2023 Met Gala in coordinating monochromatic black and red suits. Union wore a red leather trench coat over a floor-length red gown while Wade was seen in an all-black outfit with a long blazer and leather button-up top. They both accessorized with jewelry by Tiffany & Co.

May 15, 2023: Gabrielle Union says she and Dwyane Wade split their bills 50/50

During an interview on the Black Millionaires podcast, Union revealed that she and Wade share an equal burden when it comes to household finances.

“In this household, we split everything fifty-fifty,” she said. “But in the other households that each of us have to support, there’s always this like, gorilla on your back, that’s like, ‘You better work, b—, you better work. Oh, you’re going to sleep in?’ You know, somebody might not eat.”

Union explained that she’s working to overcome her “scarcity mindset” from when she was a struggling actress in Hollywood.

“I think I just have more responsibilities for my money. I get nervous like, ‘Oh God, that movie didn’t open. Am I going to have enough to hold everybody up?’ ”

June 12, 2023: Dwyane Wade opens up about his and Gabrielle Union’s finances

Michael Simon/Shutterstock

Wade commented on how he and Union split their finances equally during an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast. The retired NBA star explained that their system was inspired by a conversation he and Union had while living in Miami.

“I said something about it being my house that I paid for. My wife looked at me and said ‘you will never say that to me again when it’s something that we share,’ ” Wade told host Shannon Sharpe. “So when we moved to [Los Angeles], my wife said ‘I got half on it you will never say my house again — you can say that in the arena!’ ”

August 6, 2023: Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union attend the FWRD party in Los Angeles

Jerritt Clark/Getty

The couple stepped out in coordinating ensembles for the FWRD party in West Hollywood, which was held in honor of Wade’s induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The celebrity guest list included Queen Latifah, Quinta Brunson, Tracee Ellis Ross and Keyshia Cole.

August 12, 2023: Dwayne Wade mentions Gabrielle Union in his hall of fame speech

Mike Lawrie/Getty

During his Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Wade gave Union a sweet shout-out.

“My wife, Gab, thank you for making our house a home,” he said. “Thank you for making sure our kids feel seen, heard and protected when I’m not around.”

Wade continued: “Thank you for being on this journey with me these past 15 years. Thank you for learning to love my imperfections, just as much as we enjoyed and love the moments of perfection. I love you.”

January 17, 2024: Gabrielle Union celebrates Dwyane Wade’s 42nd birthday

In honor of her husband’s birthday, Union threw Wade a party in Miami and gave him a sweet shout-out on Instagram.

“You are a gift to me, your family and everyone you encounter,” the actress wrote. “Your purpose is rooted in the divine. May the blessings on blessings rain down on you. Love you Bay.”

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Source: HIS Education