It’s been nearly 25 years since Bring It On debuted, but Gabrielle Union’s portrayal of Isis—the fierce, no-nonsense leader of the Compton Clovers—still lives rent-free in pop culture. That high ponytail, that stare-down confidence, and those game-changing routines? Unforgettable. Now, a new reaction video is bringing back those iconic cheerleader vibes—only this time, Union’s serving them with a polished, grown-up twist. It’s all the attitude of 2000, with the elegance of 2025.
But while everyone’s still obsessing over Gabrielle Union’s slicked-back hair, let’s not forget—she’s been all about business lately. Just last week, she was at Cannes Lions 2025, which honestly felt like the perfect fit. The festival isn’t just glitz and ads—it’s where creativity meets tech, storytelling, and serious money talk. In a chat with Axios, Gab got real about what stuck with her: “Money, money—how to get it, how to sustain it, how to find new sources of it,” she said. “You can get in the door, that part isn’t hard. But how do you stay in?” Well, while she juggles with that question, we might as well take a look at a new look that screams business.
That exact vibe sparked laughs across the internet thanks to Blakely Thornton, 39, who posted a video on Instagram all about Gabrielle Union—and more specifically, her hair. “Gabrielle Union is one of the nicest women you will ever meet,” he starts, before flipping the tone: “But if that b—- has a ponytail and it’s longer than 24 inches, back the f— up, she means business and she might fight you.” One of his crew chimes in, “It’s an appearance; she’s there for an appearance. She’s there for money,” and Thornton doesn’t miss a beat: “She’s there for money. She’s there to eat, get the f— out of her way. Don’t ask for a photo, you can buy them online.”
And he wasn’t done—he broke it all the way down. “When she has a ponytail in, she’s a whole different person, and that ponytail kind of lifts it, just that eye, just a tiny bit… it’s like a natural face tape. Don’t f— with Gabrielle Union.” As for how Gab felt about all that? She saw the clip and responded on her IG story with peak cool: “I love yallll .” The high ponytail lore is alive and well, but her relationship with her hair hasn’t always been this fun and fierce.
Gabrielle Union might rock sleek ponytails on the red carpet now, but don’t get it twisted—she’s all about loving her natural curls, too. That wasn’t always the case. “When I was younger, I hated everything about [my hair]. I wanted it to be anything but what it was,” Union shared honestly.
Like so many Black girls growing up without seeing themselves in the media, she struggled with feeling beautiful. “I wasted so much of my youth in my twenties, thirties, and certainly my teens wanting to be someone else,” she said. “The images that I saw on TV and in magazines, and film reaffirmed what they were saying. That I wasn’t ‘it’, and people who look like me aren’t ‘it’.” But as she grew older, that perception changed.
Gabrielle Union turned her hair journey into a brand
It wasn’t until her 40s that Gabrielle Union truly stepped into her power and embraced her natural beauty with open arms. “In my early forties, I just emptied my basket of f— and came out reborn and loving myself in a way that you only see on Oprah episodes…” Now, Union fully celebrates the hair she once rejected, seeing it as a source of pride and strength. “I marvel at my hair’s strength and all of the diversity of looks and styles that I can achieve,” she said. “I can literally transform into anything. I can do it without a lot of heat. I’m doing it without relaxers. I’m doing it without having FOMO!”
Then came ‘Flawless’ by Gabrielle Union in 2017—the haircare brand where she had full creative control and had a mission-driven soul and affordable access at its core. “What’s the point of creating great products [when] the people they’re meant for can’t afford them?” she told Vogue. Alongside her longtime hairstylist and co-founder, Larry Sims, Union developed 12 new products in 2020 (all under $10 on Amazon) through hands-on experimentation while she battled IVF-related hair loss. “I just want to be a part of people’s hair-health journeys and a part of that evolution,” she said. Now, with majority Black ownership, the brand is no longer just about achieving a flawless look—it’s about nurturing a flawless soul.
But ‘Flawless’ isn’t just about great curls—it’s about community. Union’s making sure her success lifts others, too. “We are so grateful to have a platform to support other Black female entrepreneurs,” she said, launching the brand’s first-ever grant for Black women in business. Through her Lift As We Climb initiative, ‘Flawless’ highlights other Black-owned brands like ‘Mented Cosmetics,’ ‘The Honey Pot,’ and ‘BLK & Bold’ to boost visibility and opportunities. As Union puts it, success for Black women has never just been about talent—it’s about systems that ignore it. “Most of us are one or two checks away from not having money to pay for all of our things,” she’s said. So she’s building her own table—and making sure others get a seat too.
From playful ponytail reactions to deeply personal reflections, Gabrielle Union is showing us that hair can be powerful, funny, and transformational all at once. And whether it’s slicked back or natural and free, she’s owning every inch of it—on her terms.
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