Dwyane Wade’s Wife Gabrielle Releases Nostalgic Video as She Celebrates 25-Year Milestone

“Brr, it’s cold in here, I said there must be some Toros in the atmosphere!” Well, who else could deliver this better than the iconic Isis, captain of the Compton Clovers, the cheerleading squad, in the 2000 film Bring It On. It’s been 25 years, and we’re still swooning over Gabrielle Union’s high slicked-back ponytail and unforgettable sass. Today, Gabrielle took to Instagram to celebrate the movie’s 25th anniversary, honoring its legacy and reflecting on how its impact and relevance still hold strong even today.

And as it turns out, the film’s legacy stretches even further than Hollywood—it quietly played a part in kickstarting the love story between Union and Dwyane Wade.

Gabrielle Union shared a heartfelt video message on her Instagram, featuring fan edits and iconic Bring It On moments over the years. In her caption, she wrote, “25 years later and the spirit lives on! ✨ Back then, I never would’ve imagined stepping into the East Compton Clover uniform would bring so many blessings… It truly is the gift that keeps on giving.” She wrapped it up with, “All I can say is: keep bringing it, because we’ll forever be here for it. Much love always, and to our forever Clover, Natina Reed🍀✨.”

In her video message, Gabrielle Union expressed her disbelief, saying, “I cannot believe… 25 years. That’s a quarter of a century since Bring It On came out.” She reminisced about the fun times on set, sharing, “We just thought we were having fun in San Diego, making a movie about cheerleaders. But we made an instant classic about so much more — politically, socially relevant topics that are still resonating today. And you guys have shown up since day one and continue to show up again and again and inspire new generations of Bring It On-ers.”

Gabrielle even playfully whisper-shouted, “All the Clovers and the Toros, you have been bringing it with your spirit fingers!” Wrapping up, she thanked fans, saying, “I am just grateful and eternally indebted for all of the fans. Love you,” and ended with a heartfelt tribute to her late co-star Natina Reed.

Bring It On might’ve launched Gabrielle Union’s career, but even after all these years, she admits she has some regrets about her character, Isis. During the film’s 21st anniversary, Union said, “I was given full range to do whatever I wanted with Isis in Bring It On, and I chose respectability, and to be classy and take the high road.” She explained that decision came from a place of wanting to make Isis “the appropriate” and “right kind of Black girl.”

Looking back, though, Union wishes she’d done things differently. “Black girls aren’t allowed to be angry, certainly not demonstratively angry, and I muzzled her,” she confessed. “I need to come to grips and acknowledge where I failed Isis. When given full control, I made her appropriate.” If she could redo it, Union says she would’ve “allowed her to be angry.” And honestly, maybe that’s where she saw herself in Isis — or vice versa — because a tiny bit of that “angry-ness” hilariously ended up being directed at Dwyane Wade, as he once joked.

Bring It On sparked Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s first meeting

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade’s love story actually has a little connection to Bring It On. On an episode of TODAY with Jenna & Friends, the couple recalled how they first met during an NBA All-Star Weekend. Gabrielle mistook rookie Wade for one of her friends, ran up behind him, and gave him a huge bear hug—only to realize seconds later that he was a total stranger. “He turned around and it was not my friend,” she laughed, remembering the awkward moment. Wade, on the other hand, instantly recognized her and thought, “Oh, Gabrielle Union from Bring It On!” Years later, they crossed paths again at a Super Bowl party they were co-hosting—and that time, things clicked.

That cult-classic movie is still very much a part of their lives, and Wade often can’t resist poking fun at Gabrielle’s iconic Isis walk from the film. Back on the movie’s 21st anniversary, fellow NBA player Rex Chapman tweeted a clip of Gabrielle as Isis leading her cheer squad to confront rivals for stealing their routine.

Wade jumped right into the comments, joking, “Oh, that’s her ‘I mean business’ walk… every time I leave the toothpaste cap off,” complete with laughing emojis. And honestly, it’s a running thing between them—even once in 2020, Gabrielle teased him under an Instagram post: “I still need you to put the cap back on the toothpaste,” to which Wade hilariously replied, “I’m still trying to get that toothpaste cap thing down.”

For Gabrielle, though, Isis has always been more than just a character—she sees so much of herself in her. While talking to Vogue for the film’s 20th anniversary, she explained how intentional she was about shaping Isis’s personality to mirror her own.

“I didn’t want to be saved and I didn’t want the Clovers to be indebted,” Gabrielle said. “I wouldn’t have been okay with being saved by anyone else. That’s me in real life and that’s me in Bring It On.” That bold, sassy, “don’t-mess-with-me” energy Wade jokes about? Turns out, it’s not just an acting choice—it’s Gabrielle through and through.