Gabrielle Union recently opened up about her motherhood journey in an in-depth interview with Marie Claire for the magazine’s motherhood issue—and now the outlet has named her among the honorees for its inaugural Power Moms List.
During her speech at the awards ceremony, Union shared that the village she has in her life has been instrumental in helping her in her motherhood journey, specifically on becoming a mom later in life and deciding to choose surrogacy.
In a feature in the magazine’s motherhood issue, Union previously shared her parenting style and what makes her a Power Mom. “Each child gets a different version of me because they need a different version of me. I couldn’t say the things that I say to Zaya in the way that I say them to Zaire,” she told the outlet.
“At times I can be softer and more lenient, and then there’s times where I am just straight-up bad cop because the dynamics change. Sometimes when my husband says certain things to certain kids, it just lands like an anvil around their necks that will be there for the rest of their lives. So in those cases, I’m like, ‘I got this,’ because they’re going to receive it differently from me. I’ve learned that there’s no one way to parent. It’s not one size fits all,” Union continued.
Speaking about the first-ever event, Marie Claire editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike explained the intent behind honoring moms making a difference. “At Marie Claire, we spotlight the women moving culture forward—and we know you can’t tell the story of progress without telling the story of moms,” she said.
“The Power Moms are a diverse group of actors, activists, business leaders, and musicians who, despite their different fields, have one thing in common: motherhood isn’t a limitation, it’s part of their legacy,” Ogunnaike added.
Other 2025 honorees on the Power Moms List include: singer-songwriter Kali Uchis, actress/model Deepika Padukone, Bobbie co-founders Laura Modi and Sarah Hardy, attorney Cherelle Griner, wife of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, and Olympia Gayot, creative director and head of design at J. Crew.