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Actress Gabrielle Union has opened up about the challenges she faced in gaining the trust and acceptance of her husband Dwyane Wade’s family during the early years of their relationship. Speaking candidly alongside Wade on Michelle Obama’s IMO podcast, Union reflected on the skepticism she encountered, particularly from Wade’s older sister, Tragil, and his mother, Jolinda.

Union, 52, and Wade, 42, began dating in 2009 following the end of their first marriages. However, Wade’s family initially expressed doubts about their romance, primarily because Union was nine years older than him. “When I first met his family, the older sisters, who are closer in my age, were immediately good with me,” Union recalled. “But with Tragil, because she has been the protector, the watchdog, the gatekeeper, it was much harder.”

According to Union, both Tragil and Jolinda questioned her intentions and commitment before the relationship became serious. She remembered them asking, “What do you want? Who are you, you older lady? What do you want?” These doubts persisted until the couple married in 2014.

Union explained that her straightforwardness helped bridge the gap. She assured the family that she was financially independent, not rushing into parenthood, and simply interested in exploring her relationship with Wade. “I was like, actually, we both just got divorced, so we’re kind of in the same space. I didn’t have a kid at 20, I’m still childless, and I’m not racing to do that, so I’m straight. I got my own bank account, so I’m good. I just like him, we’ll see where it goes.”

That honesty and the years that followed allowed Union to build trust with Wade’s family, gradually transforming initial suspicion into respect and acceptance. “It took some years, really, to earn their trust and also for them to earn my trust so we could be comfortable equally,” she reflected.

Now, the actress says their relationship with Wade’s family is marked by mutual support and unity. “It’s easy, because we are all on the same side,” Union said. She also emphasized that navigating such dynamics requires patience and grace, adding, “You want that grace, you give that grace, and you eventually receive that grace. But it’s a learning curve, for sure.”