Gabrielle Union is mourning the loss of her father, Sylvester “Cully” Union Jr., who died after battling dementia. 

Union shared the news in a deeply personal Instagram tribute, opening up about the emotional weight of watching a parent slowly decline and the complicated grief that can come with that experience. Union’s father died on Friday, April 3, and had been living with dementia for years. Sylvester Union was 81-years-old. 

In her post, Union described the pain of dementia as something that strips away a person in painful stages, while also acknowledging that she felt relief knowing her father’s suffering was over. She wrote that “nothing prepares you for the painfully slow disappearing of your loved one,” a message that may resonate with anyone who has cared for someone through memory loss or a long illness. Union also thanked the people who helped care for her father during his final years, including her family and the memory care professionals who supported him.

The actress also shared a tender memory from one of their final interactions, recalling that her father told her, “I really love you,” before asking about her mother and joking with her in a way that reminded her of his spirit. 

Beyond the heartbreak, Union made sure to celebrate the man her father was before the illness took hold. She remembered him as a joyful presence, a protector, and someone who tried to do better, love harder, and show up for the people in his life. She closed her tribute by telling others who are grieving a parent that she was sending them love and healing too.

She added, “It’s bewildering to feel relief that the pain has ended, but profound heartbreak at the finality of his time. I know I’m not the first or last Daddy’s girl to go through this, and I’m sending love and healing to anyone suffering the loss of a parent. I know his love is eternal and will find me in every realm.”