Gabrielle Union posts one thoughtful post a week on her Instagram account as part of her Woman Crush Wednesday series - in which she praises one "dope woman" every Wednesday - and has said her decision to start the series came as she wanted to fight back against the online trolls who are "committed" to tearing people down.
She said: "You see so many people committed, like they commit time to trolling and making people feel like crap, and I just wanted to do the opposite. There are so many dope women that are in my life, so many dope women that I've come across."
The 'Being Mary Jane' star believes her posts are the "bare minimum" when it comes to her stance as a feminist, and says it's the "least she can do" in her role as an "advocate for women".
She added: "If I can't use my social media to amplify, uplift, inspire one woman a week, I mean, I can't call myself a feminist. I can't call myself an advocate for women. I mean like, if I can't do that once a week? That's the bare minimum! To me, that's the least I can do."
And through posting her weekly messages of praise - which this week was dedicated to 'Black Panther' actress Letitia Wright - Gabrielle has noticed that most women are surprised by her kind words.
The 'Bad Boys II' star is no stranger to praising the women around her either, as she previously gushed over her co-star Jessica Alba for being one of her "favourite" people to work with "ever".
She said: "Jessica has been truly one of my favourite co-stars ever. We have similar wicked senses of humour, but we really enjoy working together."
See more of Gabrielle's #WCW posts below.
Today’s #WCW is quite honestly my woman crush everyday... the lovely and iconic @janetjackson. I have been lucky enough to meet this living legend, and each time without fail, I FAN GIRL. She is a triple threat as a singer, dancer and actress, and excels at each and every field. Her list of awards and accolades has its very own Wikipedia page because it is so long and robust. This queen has sold over a 100 Million records, making her one of the worlds best selling music artists. She is now a proud mama to her son Eissa. I am lucky to call her a friend. You can catch her this summer on her State of The World Tour (you will likely see me crying in the front at every single one 🤗). Let us lift her up in the light of goodness and hold her there!
A post shared by
Gabrielle Union-Wade(@gabunion) on Jul 25, 2018 at 2:48pm PDT
Today’s #WCW was actually a WCW of mine years ago when she was just starting out, but wow has she grown into an unstoppable WOMAN. If you haven’t heard of her already, meet @ryandestiny. She’s a triple threat and someone I have believed in wholeheartedly. She is a perfect example of what belief and support in the next generation can do. We need to mentor our younger talent and not feel threatened. If we lift each other up and impart wisdom and knowledge, it doesn’t dim your shine, but rather feeds your soul. Ryan currently stars in Fox’s Star where she flexes her talents as a singer, dancer and actress. Remember this face because you will be seeing her everywhere folks. She is unstoppable. Let us lift here up in the light of goodness and hold her there✨
A post shared by
Gabrielle Union-Wade(@gabunion) on Jul 18, 2018 at 2:02pm PDT
Today’s #wcw is one of the original Broadway DIVAAAS, @valariepettiford. This triple threat has been performing and garnering awards since the 70’s, and changed the game with her performance in Fosse. One of the first roles that solidified her as a leading player was her starring performance as Anita in the West Side Story reunion tour in ’87. After making her mark on the broadway stage in West Side Story and Fosse (which got her a Tony nom), she went on to be the first American to star in Chicago on London’s West End alongside Chita Rivera. I met her on the set of Half & Half where she played @essence_says’s mom, and instantly, she was family. I found myself constantly going back to set to hang with her and hear more of her unbelievable stories. Her heart is so dope, and her talent is immense. She invited me to watch one of her “casual” cabaret performances in NYC, and it was a who’s who of legends. Her humbleness and grace is something we can all learn from, and I can’t wait for you all to see what we are working on next 🤗You can watch her in her latest TV Show, BBC’s A Discovery of Witches. Let us lift her up in the light of goodness and hold her there.
A post shared by
Gabrielle Union-Wade(@gabunion) on Jul 11, 2018 at 2:15pm PDT
