The two-part special, premiering June 15, follows Gabrielle Union, husband Dwyane Wade, family, friends and loved ones on an epic journey as she travels across multiple countries in Africa in celebration of her 50th birthday.
Executive Produced by Jesse Collins Entertainment and Union’s I’ll Have Another, the series is Gabrielle’s first project for the streamer as part of her overall deal with BET.
Official title: “Gabrielle Union: My Journey to 50”
Synopsis: Gabrielle Union is celebrating her 50th trip around the sun with an epic, continental journey through Africa, from the island of Zanzibar to the coast of Ghana to the parks of Namibia and the nightlife of South Africa.
We join Gabrielle, along with her family and closest friends, as she embarks on a journey that sheds light on the woman she once was and honors who she is in the present while discovering the deeply rooted, badass that she has always been. On this journey, she’ll walk the path of her heritage, gain wisdom and shed what no longer works for her while welcoming others to relearn, rediscover and reconnect as we collectively celebrate our most authentic selves.
Gabrielle Union cordially invites you on her return to Africa:
“I’ve always had a lifelong thirst for knowledge. Connecting with the birthplace of civilization and my own ancestry helped me inch closer to my true self,” said Union. “There was no other place I wanted to spend my 50th birthday. It was an experience I’ll never forget and I’m excited for audiences to join me on the journey.”
“It’s a privilege to have Gabrielle as part of the BET family. We’re delighted to debut one of her first overall deal projects on BET+,” said Scott Mills, President, and Chief Executive Officer of BET Media Group. “In this two-part special, Gabrielle takes us on a journey that is both heartfelt and heart-wrenching. We’re honored to bring this story to our audience and to serve as a home for complex black stories that celebrate and give voice to our shared experiences, heritage, and culture.”
“Jesse Collins Entertainment has had an amazing working relationship with Gabrielle over the years, so when given the opportunity to document this life-changing moment for her, we were thrilled to come on board,” said Dionne Harmon, President, Jesse Collins Entertainment. “It was an honor to be a part of her milestone birthday and to witness the transformative power of reconnecting with one’s ancestral roots.”
Available: June 15 on BET+
Featuring: Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, Kaavia James Union Wade, Theresa Union (Gabrielle’s mother), Katie Union (Gabrielle’s Aunt), Chelsea Union (Gabrielle’s Niece), Tracy Union (Gabrielle’s Sister), Adair Curtis, Essence Atkins, Angie Martinez and more
Production Companies: Jesse Collins Entertainment and I’ll Have Another
Executive Producers: Jesse Collins, Dionne Harmon, Madison Merritt, Elaine Metaxas, Sergio Alfaro, Tiffany Mills, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Kian Gass, and Erin Beaurem
Episodes: 2 x 60 min episodes
Locations: Zanzibar, Tanzania; Accra, Ghana; Namibia; Cape Town, South Africa
BET Executives: Tiffany Williams, Kelly Gould
ABOUT BET+:
BET+, a subsidiary of Paramount Global, is the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience. A joint venture between BET and Tyler Perry Studios, BET+ allows users to stream the best of Black culture from the best Black creators across movies, TV shows, stand-up comedy, award shows and specials, all in one place, commercial-free. BET+ also hosts a variety of exclusive content, with new original series and movies launching each month, including Emmy-nominated “The Ms. Pat Show,” “Tyler Perry’s Zatima” and “All the Queen’s Men”, “The Impact Atlanta”, “College Hill: Celebrity Edition,” “Martin: The Reunion,” “First Wives Club” and “Carl Weber’s The Family Business” and “The Black Hamptons,” to name a few. Visit BET.Plus or follow @BETPlus to learn more.
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT:
Founded in 2012, Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full-service Emmy® winning production company that has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. The company has a multi-year overall agreement with ViacomCBS Cable Networks. JCE’s award-winning and critically acclaimed television includes programming from its three divisions. From the scripted division: scripted series—Real Husbands of Hollywood, American Soul, and miniseries—The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story. From the unscripted division: unscripted series – Oh Hell No! With Marlon Wayans, Cardi Tries, My Killer Body with K. Michelle, DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic and Forward: The Future of Black Music, competition/game shows—Becoming A Popstar, Rhythm + Flow, Sunday Best, Hip Hop Squares and Nashville Squares, talk shows – Yara Shahidi’s Day Off and Face to Face with Becky G, and children’s series—Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices (Daytime Emmy® Award winner). From the specials division: award shows—The American Music Awards, BET Awards, Soul Train Awards, BET Hip Hop Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars and ABFF Honors, specials—The Super Bowl Halftime Show (Primetime Emmy® Award winner), Lil Rel Howery: I said it. Y’all thinking it., CNN’s Juneteenth: A Global Celebration of Freedom, Martin: The Reunion, John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration, Change Together: From The March On Washington To Today, A GRAMMY Salute to the Sounds of Change, Stand Up for Heroes, Dear Mama, Amanda Seales: I Be Knowin’, Def Comedy Jam 25, Leslie Jones: Time Machine, The All-Star Nickmas Spectacular and Rip the Runway. Emmy® winner Jesse Collins, Founder, and CEO, is the executive producer of all programming. He is also an executive producer for the Grammy Awards and The Golden Globes. Collins produced the 2021 Oscars.
ABOUT I’LL HAVE ANOTHER:
In 2018, award-winning actress Gabrielle Union launched her own production company, I’ll Have Another which is a nod to her NYT best-selling memoir We’re Going to Need More Wine. The company focuses on storytelling that focuses on centering marginalized communities with their specific point of views in an authentic manner. I’ll Have Another develops broadcast, cable, and streaming series’ for television and also has a strong emphasis on feature films in both the studio and independent space. I’ll Have Another has developed TV projects with HBO Max, Freeform, Apple, Showtime, Starz, and Netflix among others. On the feature side, development spans from Universal, MRC, and Disney to streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon, including competitive bidding wars on two projects the company sold in 2021.
Union is attached to star in many of the company’s projects, including Netflix’s upcoming THE PERFECT FIND opposite Gina Torres and Keith Powers. Union herself also recently served as Executive Producer on A24’s THE INSPECTION, Disney+’s CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, and her hit series LA’S FINEST for Charter/Spectrum, which premiered in 2019 and was the #1 viewed series on the Spectrum on-demand platform.
