When it comes to ageist trolls who slammed Gabrielle Union for wearing a thong bikini, the star delivered an epic response that would make “Bring It On” fans proud.
While appearing on the Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr podcast last week, The Perfect Find actor opened up about the disparaging comments she received for sporting body-baring swimwear on social media at 50.
“Somebody said, ‘You’re old enough to be somebody’s grandma, why are you still in — like wearing swimsuits?’” she recalled on the episode that aired July 5.
Union continued, “I’m like, ‘First of all, they’re not just swimsuits. They are thongs.’ And you’re gonna see these cheeks until my ass literally falls off, and I might just wear a bikini in the casket.”
Topping off her diss with a hilarious mic drop moment, she quipped, “I don’t know. That just might be for you, for that one commenter… This is for you bitch… It’s just gonna be like, me in a thong, like, ass-up in the casket.”
Union called out oppressive societal standards, adding that “they start treating you like you’ve got osteoporosis” once women reach their mid-30s.
“You start becoming invisible, and it’s a weird, empty feeling to feel like you’re disappearing in front of your own eyes,” she remarked of the antiquated expectations. “You start taking on the same attitude as society that believes that you lack value.”
But the Being Mary Jane star, who isn’t one to hold back on the steamy snapshots online, wants women to celebrate themselves without waiting for someone to “validate us.”
“I don’t want anyone else to feel that invisibility and that sense of worthlessness because the only people that we need to validate us is us,” Union said. “And sometimes, the more that you validate your damn self, the more people are like, ‘Yeah.’”
She added, “We need to boldly take up space and boldly claim and acknowledge our own beauty in all that we do instead of waiting.”
Union’s husband, three time-NBA champion Dwyane Wade, whom she’s been married to for nearly a decade, seems to be a happy camper over her body-positive posts.
Last month, when the actor appeared in a sheer butt-baring gown at a screening for her new Netflix film, The Perfect Find, the former NBA star left a more than excited comment under her Instagram post highlighting the evening.
“Just enough to get a glimpse 😉,” Union captioned her post, to which Wade commented: “Damn 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.”