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Gabrielle Union recently got candid about taking care of her father, Sylvester Union, who is currently in memory care after being diagnosed with dementia. The Bring It On actress attended the American Black Film Festival, which was held from June 11 to 15, 2025, in Miami Beach, and is currently available to stream on ABFF PLAY from June 16 to 24.
On the second day of the event, June 12, 2025, Union opened up during the Sisterhood & Savings discussion with Kelley Carter about how she balances taking care of her extended family with the projects she takes on. She shared about her father being in memory care for dementia, which changed the trajectory of her work, saying:
"You know, nursing homes, what's covered by insurance, what's not, home health aids—like that all adds up and having to really be cognizant of an additional output, I have to go where the money goes."
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While she would like to work on all the independent films she wants, the actress said that she simply doesn't have the luxury to do so because she wouldn't be able to support her extended family then. She defended herself and other celebrities, saying:
"When you see celebrities have fifty 'leven jobs, there's a reason. We don't get paid what y'all think that we get paid, and that check is split so many ways."
She mentioned that having multiple revenue streams has been necessary and that she needs to consider endorsements and brands to earn the money she needs. Gabrielle Union added that whether she can take on a creative project depends on what she can make in a year, which is a shame. Nevertheless, she acknowledged that it’s a reality.
"I was so fulfilled"— Gabrielle Union talks The Inspection
While reflecting on her choice of money over passion during the Sisterhood & Savings discussion at the American Black Film Festival on June 12, Gabrielle Union got candid about working in the A24 drama film, The Inspection. Despite the little cash she was able to take home from the project to make sure that most of the money goes towards production, the actress described it as fulfilling work.
The Riff Raff star also talked about how she got another kind of success while working on the movie, which extends beyond the monetary value she earned.
"But I was so fulfilled and it was a different kind of fulfillment because it didn't come attached to a check," she said.
Gabrielle Union added that she got "critical acclaim for the first time" for The Inspection. Besides that, she also found additional meaning from the community she built while working on the project. She said that it "felt very successful" to be in a community and partnership with the "legendary producer Effie Brown.
Union plays a homophobic mother of a gay marine in A24's The Inspection, a role in which she earned various accolades. She has been nominated for the Gotham and Independent Spirit Awards for Best Supporting Performance.
Gabrielle Union joins Lili Reinhart, Lola Tung, and Emma Chamberlain in Meredith Alloway's Forbidden Fruits, a horror comedy expected to reach cinemas sometime in 2026.
