'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Bring It On actress Gabrielle Union opened up about parenting in an interview with Marie Claire, published on Wednesday, May 7. The 52-year-old actress shared her surrogacy journey to have daughter Kaavia James with Dwyane Wade in 2018. In the interview, she revealed how the decision to opt for a surrogate affected her.
"For me, it felt like failure. My body failed. It just felt like such a f*ckin public humiliation. Surrogacy felt like a c*ckold; watching somebody do something I can't do. To be there for somebody else succeeding where I failed," Gabrielle said.
Trending
She further shared that she could never "have peace" with the decision of choosing surrogacy to have a child.
"It's such a personal journey that I may never know full peace with the coulda, woulda, shouldas."
The comments made by Gabrielle garnered attention on social media. Netizens flooded X (formerly Twitter) with their opinions on the same. While some complimented her for opening up about something so personal, others claimed that she could have just opted for adoption.
One user (@leepunzel) wrote on X:
"You know, you could have adopted."
Another user tweeted:
"Damn, that's heavy. Respect her openness about a tough journey."
"Do not blame your body or the decision you made at all! Love yourself," added a tweet.
"Damn, that's raw. Respect her vulnerability, can't be easy," wrote a netizen.
Netizens seemed to have connected to Gabrielle Union's recent statements about her journey of choosing surrogacy as an option. A lot of other X users shared a similar point of view. A user commented:
"Gabrielle putting words to a kind of pain so many feel silently...that takes strength."
"I understand her but she must stop kicking herself, it's not her fault," read a tweet.
"That’s such a raw, vulnerable take," wrote another X user.
Gabrielle Union was diagnosed with adenomyosis, which led her to consider other pregnancy options
Gabrielle Union's recent interview was not the first time that she opened up about her surrogacy journey. In September 2021, she spoke to TIME Magazine about the same situation. At the time, People reported that due to her adenomyosis diagnosis, the actress underwent several miscarriages.
During the 2021 interview, she revealed that back in 2016, her doctor suggested her surrogacy, calling it the most effective option for her. TIME Magazine reported that Gabrielle wanted to experience pregnancy and was not happy with the news.
"I wanted the experience of being pregnant. To watch my body expand and shift to accommodate this miracle inside me," she reportedly said.
Gabrielle Union then revealed that it was her husband Dwyane who persuaded her to opt for surrogacy. She even opened up about her surrogate Natalie, claiming that the latter was a fan of the actress.
Apart from having a child with Dwyane, Gabrielle is also a step mother to three other children. According to a report by People published in February 2025, Gabrielle Union is also the legal guardian of her husband's 21-year-old nephew, Dahveon.
