Gabrielle Union Reveals Dwyane Wade’s Cancer Battle Took A Toll On Their Marriage

Gabrielle Union is reflecting on the challenges she and her husband, Dwyane Wade, faced in their ninth year of marriage — one of their hardest yet. In a candid conversation on Today with Jenna & Friends on February 26, the actress revealed how Dwyane’s cancer diagnosis in 2023 deeply impacted their relationship and family.

“It was year nine of our marriage, and … year nine was very hard,” Gabrielle shared. For months, she and Dwyane kept his health battle private, but now that the former NBA star has gone public with his diagnosis, Gabrielle says everything makes more sense in hindsight.

Dwyane, 43, was diagnosed with kidney cancer last year and underwent surgery to remove 40% of his kidney after doctors found a cancerous tumor. The news was devastating, and Gabrielle admitted that facing such a serious health crisis at a relatively young age took a “toll” on their marriage.

“Being faced with your own mortality in your early forties is terrifying, and you’re like, ‘Am I going to be here to see my family? Who am I without this big life, and without this healthy body?’” she explained.

Beyond Dwyane’s personal struggle, Gabrielle says the diagnosis affected their entire family, including their 6-year-old daughter, Kaavia James. Dwyane also shares three children — 22-year-old Zaire, 17-year-old Zaya, and 11-year-old Xavier — from previous relationships and is the legal guardian of his nephew, 21-year-old Dahveon Morris.

Navigating the emotional weight of his illness wasn’t easy, especially when it came to allowing himself to be vulnerable. Gabrielle noted that Dwyane was hesitant to let his family fully support him.

“As a man, you never want your family to see you weak…Don’t want to be perceived weak, don’t want to be seen in your weakest moments but I had to [be],” Dwyane previously admitted on his The WY Network podcast. 

For Gabrielle, witnessing her husband struggle with both his health and his emotions was challenging. “That level of vulnerability, to go through removal of a good chunk of his kidney and the healing that involved, he needed us to be okay with his vulnerability, but more than that, he needed to be okay with his vulnerability,” she said.

Looking back, Gabrielle acknowledges that it was a learning experience for both of them. “It was a challenge. It was a challenge to give grace and receive it,” she admitted.