Be honest—if you saw Dwyane Wade walking down the street, wouldn’t you get starstruck and maybe yell his name a little too loud? I know I would. I mean, we’re talking about a 3-time NBA champ, Olympic gold medalist, and future Hall of Famer—it’s not every day you bump into greatness like that. The funny thing is, even Wade knows the feeling. Because when he spotted his favorite star, he had his own fangirl… oops, fanboy moment, and yep, it was just as relatable as you’d hope.
So there they were, live on TODAY on July 8, when Jenna Bush Hager brought up how Brad Pitt once got star-struck meeting Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon. Naturally, she turned to Dwyane Wade and asked if he’d ever had a moment like that. Wade didn’t hesitate. “I saw a character I loved from Scandal, the character was Millie Grant. AKA Bellamy Young. I saw Millie Grant. I yelled, ‘Millie!’” he said. Yes, Wade had a full-on fanboy moment—and screamed it, right across the room.
But, before we even get to his answer, let’s turn to Gabrielle Union—who just so happened to witness the entire moment firsthand. She reposted the moment on her IG story, writing, “He SCREAMED it yall. I dieeeddddd.” Turns out, this wasn’t just a cute on-air confession. Gabrielle had already shared the moment back in 2013 when it actually happened: “We were about to leave when suddenly @dwyanewade literally screams ‘MILLIE!!!!’ #gladiatorsstandup so awesome meeting @BellamyYoung.” Yep, Wade had a full-on fanboy moment over Scandal’s First Lady, and Gabrielle’s been laughing about it ever since.
Dwyane Wade gave fans the full rundown of his most unexpected fanboy moment during the show. “I get starstruck, but it’s normally people that you would not understand why unless you understand me,” Wade said, “So my wife wouldn’t even understand.” He recalled being exhausted at an event in LA, uncomfortable in the wrong shoes, and ready to leave—until he spotted Bellamy Young. “I just screamed it. I didn’t even know that was in me,” he laughed. She turned, waved, and came over. Gabrielle, ready to go, nudged him—but Wade wasn’t done: “She was like, ‘You ready to go?’ I’m like, ‘No!’” And when they showed the old photo from that night—Gabrielle right between him and Bellamy—Wade jokingly added, “Why’s my wife in the picture hating? That was my moment.”
This wasn’t Wade’s first time at the TODAY show either. Just a few months ago, Dwyane Wade shocked all of us—not with a dunk, but by grabbing a mic and co-hosting the TODAY show for an entire week. Sitting alongside Jenna Bush Hager on Jenna & Friends, Wade let fans in on a more personal side of his journey. Sure, the show had welcomed over 20 celebrity guests before, including Gabrielle, but Wade brought a whole different kind of energy. At the time, it felt like a fun one-off. But then, quietly and without a single word, Wade confirmed his return. He’s back on the show from July 7 to 11, and this time? Things took an unexpected emotional turn.
Dwyane Wade’s emotional moment with his mom
Dwyane Wade’s week as a guest co-host on TODAY with Jenna & Friends took an emotional turn when he got a surprise that hit straight to the heart — a letter from his mom, Jolinda Wade. But this wasn’t just any letter. For the Wades, letters have a special history. Back in the ’90s, when Jolinda was incarcerated and battling addiction, she and her young son stayed connected through handwritten notes. That bond carried them through some of the darkest times. “Your letters got me through each day and enabled me to be a part of all the wonderful things that were happening in your life,” Jolinda said in her message. It was a callback to a time when paper and pen were their lifeline, and love was sent through envelopes.
In the letter, Jolinda praised Dwyane not just as a son, but as a father. She remembered how proud he was when he sent her pictures of Zaire, his eldest, and how determined he was to be a hands-on dad. “You made up your mind that you were going to be the best dad you could be. And that is exactly what you have become,” she wrote. But what really made hearts melt was her reflection on how he’s supported his daughter Zaya, who came out as transgender in 2020. “You protect her, speak with her to understand who she is. You don’t judge or condemn.” In just a few words, she captured the kind of father and man Dwyane has become — open, loving, and fiercely protective of his children.
When Jolinda walked on set moments later, the love between mother and son was undeniable. She got honest about her struggles — heroin, homelessness, prison — but made it clear that her children, especially Dwyane, never let go of her. “They never judged me. They never condemned me.” And Dwyane, through it all, kept lifting her up. “Ma, you go and tell your story because the only thing it’s going to do is help someone,” she recalled him saying. As they hugged it out on live TV, Dwyane smiled and said what so many were already feeling: “No one makes me smile as big as my mom.”
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