Gabrielle Union values self-expression when raising her daughter: ‘It’s whatever you want to do’

“Whether it’s makeup or hair or how she dresses, it’s completely up to her. These are her choices,” Union says of her parenting style. 

Gabrielle Union loves watching her children express themselves. In People’s 2025 “World’s Most Beautiful” issue, Union let her six-year-old daughter, Kaavia James Union Wade, take the lead and interview her as they posed for a heartwarming mommy-and-me photo shoot. 

Beyond Kaavia asking the actress about her “fancy” style and a triggering question about her choice to wear wigs, the interview delved into the importance of self-expression. When speaking to the publication, Union explained the ways in which she and her husband, Dwyane Wade, encourage their children to express themselves unapologetically. 

“The advice that we give is, ‘It’s whatever you want to do,’” she said, going on to explain how they give Kaavia space to explore her personal style. “When it comes to her hair, obviously, I’m obsessed with it. There’s a lot of work and a small team that does her hair to make sure it’s healthy. But what she does with it, how she chooses to express herself, whether it’s makeup, or hair, or how she dresses, it’s completely up to her. It’s her body. These are her choices. And as long as it’s safe and appropriate for the weather, then it’s really up to her. And you don’t have to follow anybody, it’s no one else’s choice but yours how you express yourself.”

In addition to Kaavia, Union and Wade are parents to Wade’s son Zaire and daughter Zaya, whom he shares with his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches, and his son Xavier, whom he shares with Aja Metoyer. 

In an interview with Seventeen magazine, Zaya revealed how her parents’ support, particularly Wade’s, continues to inspire her. 

“My dad is who truly inspires me the most,” she told the publication. “Kids always tend to look up to their parents, but not only did I idolize him growing up and see him as a real person, I realize that he has played such an essential role in supporting me and the ways I choose to present myself to the world.”