Alert – Gabrielle Union gives major health update on husband Dwyane Wade’s ‘shocking’ cancer diagnosis

Gabrielle Union gave a major health update of her husband Dwyane Wade’s ‘shocking’ cancer diagnosis.

The actress, 52, revealed that the former basketball star, 43, is now cancer-free, after the removal of a cancerous tumor from his kidney in 2023.

The Bring It On star shared the good news on a recent episode of The View, after co-host Sunny Hostin asked if Dwyane was ‘better now.’

‘Yes, he’s had the surgery and he’s cancer-free, but it was a challenge,’ she replied. 

Gabrielle went on to share that Wade’s diagnosis left her ‘in such shock’ and it took her ‘a while’ to come to terms with it.

‘You hear cancer [and] you’re paralyzed because you think of the absolute worst-case scenario. I’ve had so many friends who are cancer survivors. I didn’t go there; I went to “he’s gone,”‘ she added.

Gabrielle Union, 52, gave a major update of her husband Dwyane Wade’s, 43, ‘shocking’ cancer diagnosis; the two seen March 2 at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Gabrielle shared that Dwyane did not initially tell the whole family. 

‘He didn’t tell everybody. He didn’t even tell our whole family. He really wanted this to be very under the radar. He didn’t tell anyone.’

The pair recently looked in good spirits as they attended the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills on Sunday.

Union wowed in a sleeveless black dress with gold floral accents, while Dwyane accompanied her in a classic black suit with a bow tie.

Last month, Gabrielle opened up for the first time about the toll Wade’s cancer diagnosis took on him, on her and on their family.

‘Obviously, him getting that diagnosis was traumatic for him, you know, being faced with your own mortality in your early 40s,’ Union said on Today with Jenna and Friends.

‘You’re like, “Am I going to be here to see my family? Who am I without this big life? Without this healthy body?”‘

The former NBA player had surgery in December 2023 to remove a cancerous tumor on his kidney that led to doctors removing 40 percent of his kidney.

‘But you also don’t understand the journey and the toll it takes on your marriage, on your family, on your kids,’ Union recalled.

The actress revealed that the former basketball star is now cancer-free, after the removal of a cancerous tumor from his kidney in 2023, during a recent appearance on The View

‘He’s had the surgery and he’s cancer-free, but it was a challenge,’ she said. Gabrielle went on to share that Wade’s diagnosis left her ‘in such shock’ and it took her ‘a while’ to come to terms with it

‘You hear cancer [and] you’re paralyzed because you think of the absolute worst-case scenario. I’ve had so many friends who are cancer survivors. I didn’t go there; I went to “he’s gone,”‘ she added; the pair seen in 2024

The actress noted that the experience made Wade ‘a little more hesitant’ to let his loved ones in on his ‘journey of healing.’ 

Wade shares children Zaire, 22, and Zaya, 17, with ex-wife Siovaughn Funches, son Xavier, 10, with ex Aja Metoyer and daughter Kaavia, 6, with Union.

‘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 OK with his vulnerability,’ Union explained to host Jenna Bush Hager.

‘But more than that, he needed to be OK with his vulnerability. It was a challenge to give grace and receive it.’

Wade mentioned on his podcast last month that it was the first time any of his kids had seen him ‘weak.’

‘That moment was probably the weakest point I’ve ever felt in my life,’ Wade said at the time.

‘The moments I was by myself, I was struggling. One thing you never want to do as a man … is [for] your family to see you weak. It’s tough.’

Dwyane explained that a routine checkup that he went in for when he was experiencing stomach discomfort and a weaker urine stream, resulted in doctors discovering a tumor on his right kidney.

Gabrielle shared that Dwyane did not initially tell the whole family, stating, ‘He really wanted this to be very under the radar’; seen with their daughter Kaavia, six, and Wade’s daughter Zaya, 17, whom he shares with ex-wife Siovaughn Funches

Union previously shared that Dwyane getting that diagnosis was ‘traumatic for him’; the two pictured in 2024

The former NBA player had surgery in December 2023 to remove a cancerous tumor on his kidney that led to doctors removing 40 percent of his kidney; Seen here in 2024

‘On the process of checking, like, “Why is my p*** coming out slow, why is my stream ain’t powerful? Why is it a little weak?’, Wade explained.

He then revealed that a full-body scan found a ‘cyst/tumor’ on one of his kidneys and doctors told him he needed surgery.

He said: ‘I didn’t go in for my kidneys, but because I did the full-body scan, they saw something.’

Dwyane explained that he hadn’t been keeping up with regular medical exams since he retired from the NBA in 2019.

Talking about his decision to undergo surgery, Wade said: ‘I had a personal decision to make, and what it was was, “If this is cancerous, if this tumor, this cyst is cancerous, on your kidney, you’re 41 years old, you probably need surgery because it’s something that needs to be removed so it doesn’t spread”‘.

He also added that he opted for the full-body exam after seeing his father undergo surgery.

When doctors found the tumor, Dwyane said the mass couldn’t be biopsied. To confirm any cancer, the star said he required surgery, which he underwent in December 2023.

He added: ‘Thank God that I did do the surgery, right? Because the tumor was cancerous.’

When Wade woke up from surgery, Gabrielle and his father were there. The former athlete admitted he was ‘fortunate’ to have his family there to support and encourage him.

Dwyane explained that he hadn’t been keeping up with regular medical exams since he retired from the NBA in 2019; Seen here in 2015

‘I saw everybody show up for me and be there for me,’ Wade shared.

‘In that process of my weakness, I found strength in my family, in my friends, in my group. I came out of that and I’ve been doing things differently and I’ve been attacking life that way. I’m not waiting.’

Gabrielle and Dwyane have been married since 2014.

The couple tied the knot at Chateau Artisan in Miami, Florida after a short eight-month engagement.