“Nothing prepares you for the painfully slow disappearing of your loved one,” the “Bad Boys II” star said.

Gabrielle Union’s father dies at 81 after years-long battle with dementia: ‘Always the life of every party’

"Nothing prepares you for the painfully slow disappearing of your loved one," the "Bad Boys II" star said.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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April 5, 2026 6:15 p.m. ET

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Gabrielle Union and her father Sylvester "Cully" Union Jr on May 20, 2004. Credit:

Stephen Shugerman/Getty

Gabrielle Union is mourning the loss of her father, Sylvester "Cully" Union Jr.

The "Bring It On" actress announced In an emotional Sunday Instagram post that her father died at 81 on Friday, April 3, after a lengthy battle with dementia. Paying tribute to his life and legacy, Union took time to remember her father and acknowledged the difficulty of losing a loved one gradually to a disease.

"No matter how much you think you know about dementia, nothing prepares you for the painfully slow disappearing of your loved one," Union began. "First it’s repeating words or forgetting little things here or there, then BOOM, he can’t swallow or walk. The them that you know gets smaller and smaller. You hold out hope for sustained eye contact or a smile; even a hand squeeze can make you feel like they could come back to you 'normal' at any second. It’s brutal and it’s what he experienced, but it wasn’t who he was."

Kaavia James Union Wade, Dwyane Wade, Sylvester Union, and Gabrielle Union.

Gabrielle Union/Instagram

The statement was accompanied by a compilation video, featuring photos and video of Sylvester from throughout his life.

The "Forbidden Fruits" actress went on to describe her father as "always the life of every party" and someone "surrounded by love and support from his ever-growing village." She added, "I swear he never met a stranger, just friends he hadn’t met yet."

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Union continued, "My Dad was a perfectly imperfect man and father. Over time he evolved, acknowledged his imperfections, apologized, and made amends for as long as it took for the hurts to heal. He made it his business to look after everyone. He loved our friends too and treated them like his sons and daughters. No one was ever left behind or unseen."

Over the past few years, Union has been candid about her father's journey with dementia, sharing social media updates and photos of her family spending time together in the wake of his diagnosis. Sylvester was placed in memory care in 2023, a specialized assisted living residence with staff trained to handle cognitive decline.

Toward the end of her tribute post, Union took time to thank the medical and memory care staff who cared for Sylvester, in addition to all those who stepped up to aid the family through their grief.

"It’s bewildering to feel relief that the pain has ended, but profound heartbreak at the finality of his time," she concluded. " know I’m not the first or last Daddy’s girl to go through this, and I’m sending love and healing to anyone suffering the loss of a parent. I know his love is eternal and will find me in every realm."

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Union's post was met with support from friends and loved ones, including her husband Dwayne Wade who reshared her statement with the caption, "Thank you for all the memories pops. [Love] you."

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