Gabrielle Union<\/a> is mourning the loss of her father, Sylvester \u201cCully\u201d Union Jr., who died on April 3 at age 81 following a years-long battle with dementia. In an emotional tribute shared over the weekend, Union revealed that her father had been living in memory care since 2023 as his condition worsened.<\/p>\n Union described the progression of dementia in stark terms, explaining that the disease first appeared through small lapses in memory before rapidly changing her father\u2019s ability to communicate and move.<\/p>\n COMPLEX SHOP:<\/b> Shop the brands you love, anytime and anywhere. Uncover what’s next. Buy. Collect. Obsess.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cNo matter how much you think you know about dementia, nothing prepares you for the painfully slow disappearing of your loved one,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n Union said there came a point when her father could no longer swallow or walk, adding that \u201cthe them that you know gets smaller and smaller.\u201d<\/p>\n In her tribute, Union focused less on the disease than on the man she said existed before it. She remembered her father as \u201cthe life of every party,\u201d a devoted fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, and someone who believed deeply in hard work and looking after other people.<\/p>\n \u201cHe never met a stranger, just friends he hadn\u2019t met yet,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n Union also called him a \u201cperfectly imperfect man and father\u201d who spent years acknowledging his mistakes and making amends.<\/p>\n The actress also thanked the medical workers and memory-care staff who helped care for her father in his final years, while also praising her sisters for stepping in as his condition deteriorated. The Instagram tribute included videos of Sylvester singing, celebrating with family, and spending time with Union, her husband Dwyane Wade, and their children.<\/p>\n Messages of support quickly followed from friends and colleagues, including Aja Naomi King and Robin Thede.<\/p>\n Union\u2019s family\u2019s experience reflects a growing national crisis. According to data from the National Institutes of Health<\/a>, roughly 42 percent of Americans over 55 are now expected to develop dementia in their lifetime, and the number of new U.S. cases each year is projected to more than double by 2060.<\/p>\n Rates are also increasing among younger adults, particularly Black families, who are expected to see a sharp rise in diagnoses over the coming decades.<\/p>\n <\/a> Gabrielle Union Talks Life Lessons From \u2018Goat\u2019: \u2018It\u2019s About Underdogs\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/a> Gabrielle Union Says Menopause Made Her Question Her \u2018Value\u2019 as a Woman<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n <\/a> Gabrielle Union Turns 53 and Says She\u2019s Finally Giving Herself ‘Grace’<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Antoine Fuqua Breaks Down the Years-Long Process of Making the \u2018Michael\u2019 Biopic<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\n The 12 Most Anticipated Movies Releasing in Spring 2026: \u2018The Drama,\u2019 \u2018Michael’ and More<\/a><\/i><\/b><\/p>\nRelated News<\/h3>\n
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