Gabrielle Union Reveals What She Bought with Her First Big Paycheck: ‘So Stupid’

Gabrielle Union opened up about how she spent her first big paycheck.

During a panel discussion at the American Black Film Festival in Miami on June 12, the Bring It On alum, 52, revealed her first major purchase.

“So stupid. I went on the Mazda lot. I’m like, ‘Oh, I’ve made it when I have a Mazda.’ My dad’s like, ‘Don’t buy a brand new car. It depreciates the second you drive it off the lot,’ ” recalled Union, whose film career took off in 1999 and 2000 amid the success of 10 Things I Hate About You, She’s All That, Love & Basketball and Bring It On.

“I walked into Mazda and I bought myself a black on black Mazda Miata with leather seats,” she continued. “Lemme tell you about leather seats in Los Angeles. Do you know I scorched myself every time I got out? Yeah, that was my first purchase. And it depreciated the second I drove it off the lot!”

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Union shared the memory during her onstage discussion — titled “Sisterhood & Savings: A Conversation with Gabrielle Union” — moderated by Kelley L. Carter.

“I was able to chat with my sis … about money and more and ran into old friends and met some new ones,” Carter wrote on Instagram after the American Black Film Festival event.

Union and her husband, retired NBA star Dwyane Wade, have previously been open about discussing their finances. Wade, 43, and Union revealed a few years ago that they split their bills evenly, 50/50.

At the time, Wade also shared that he and Union signed a prenup before they married each other in August 2014.

During an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast in 2023, Wade said, “I told her the same way, ‘I’ll sign a prenup too. You’re a millionaire, you got money. You work hard for yourself.’ ”