The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Gabrielle Union - "You Got Anything Stronger?"

Episode Date: September 20, 2021

Actor, author and producer Gabrielle Union discusses her experience at the 2021 Met Gala and her book "You Got Anything Stronger?," a collection of revealing essays about her life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible. I'm Seth Done of CBS News. Listen to 60 Minutes, a second look, starting September 17th, wherever you get your podcasts. Gabriel, welcome to the show.

Thank you for having me. I feel like every time I see you, you are achieving you things. It just feels like now is the time of Gabriel Union. However, I wonder if anyone has asked you this. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. to to th. to th. to th. to th. to to to to to to to to th. th. thi, thi, th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I' th. I'm th. I'm th. I.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. You know, when I'm writing, I want people to feel like, you know, we're chopping it up over a glass of wine and just talking, just having a normal conversation. I'm not using all of my SAT words in my books. I just want to use regular language talking about some deeper issues, some more challenging issues, and you know, and to do it in a way that more people can relate to it and understand. It feels like that. Like everything about you feels relatable. Like, you know, I've been following you on your trip to Europe. Everything looked amazing.

Met Gala, you look stunning. Thank you. Did you have fun? I did. I did. There was a point where I was walking up the stairs. There's a lot of stairs. There's a lot of stairs. In thia.

lot of stairs. There's a lot of stairs. In that dress and in those heels I was walking like, gallum. Like here's fashion and then gallum, fashion and go, where's the precious? It was terrible, like trying to walk up those stairs in this you know, ginormous gown. Right. And then like the after party, I'm like, you know, the more conservative Met ball, the after parties when you get it crack in. And it's, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, like, the more, you know, conservative Met ball, the after parties when you get it crack in. I feel like that's what the the after parties, and it's all about who can get to Rianna's after party. That's all everybody's trying to do. Did you go this year? Yes, yes. Well, we wanted to stop at Swiss and Alicia's party.

Yes, okay, yes. It was nice. It was for the grown-ups. And then we were like, it's time to go to Rianna's. And we link up with Queen Latifah, and it's me and Regina King and our friends, and we're in a couple caravans of SUVs. And then the weight in the caravan line to get into Rianna's was so long, we missed our window. You can't keep old people waiting that long. So we missed our the the the w missed our the w missed our the w missed our their their hey guys, want I want to go get some pizza? Let's talk about the book. It feels like you are you. Gabriel Union is having a good time and it is punctuated with some tough times in between. You got anything stronger does just that. I'd love to know like why you feel the need to share some of the stories that you share. I love them but it's alsothe need to share some of the stories that you share. I love them, but it's also really vulnerable to share some of the things that you do in

the books. Because through radical transparency, you breed community. You know what I found during this pandemic is that we're all suffering in our own way, but we're suffering in silos because we think we're alone. No one else in the world could possibly be feeling what I'm feeling. No one else in the world could understand the pain that I am in, except that's not true. And because it's because we don't talk about it. And what people say, hey, how are you? You go, fine. And when you lie and say fine, when the world is burning around you, you close the door on building community and you breed isolation, you know, and that's when the downward spiral starts. So with

this book and those tougher chapters, which some of the most brutal chapters of my life actually, I felt the responsibility to share. One of the essays that connected with people the most is the essay that you shared about surrogacy. When I saw your journey online, it was, oh, Gab's having a baby. Oh, Gabs is using a surrogate. This is fantastic. She's just like it's an easy way to do the thing,

and it's fun. She's just chosen something, you know? And then, I remember some people commented as well. They were like, why don't you have the baby? th. th. th. th. th. th. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to. to be to be the to be the the toe. toe. the the the. the. tooge tooge tooge tooge tooge tooge th th th th thi. th thi. th. th. th. th. th. the th. th. th. the the th. the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th th th thi. thi. thi. thi. thi. the. thr. the t te te te te te too too too too too too too too too te te the the the the other people's bodies, etc. And then I read the story and it is the most painful experience. You talk of the journey going through IVF, you talk through the journey of your body struggling with each stage of trying to have a child, the pain of a miscarriage over and over again. And I think the line that stuck with me is the one where Dee says to you, hey, you've done enough. I'd love to know what you, not learn, but what you got from sharing it,

and what you hope women out there would also understand from the journey that's often just like, you know, it's glossified in many ways. I felt liberated. Like when you have complicated feelings, complicated, messy, not soundbite worthy feelings about something as big as entering into motherhood and the journey to motherhood and it's not, oh

it was great and I'm just glad someone was there to you know help me bring my angel to you know into the world. I felt like a loser I felt like a failure I felt like my body had failed me, I had failed me and I had failed Duane, and he deserved something other than me. And there were just so many complicated feelings and it's also like when you don't physically, you know, birth your child and you have those nine months, you know, to bond with your baby,

it's like me and Dewein are in the same boat with Kov. We both had to work to create to create to create to create to create to create to create to create to create to create boat with Kov. We both had to work to create a bond because she's she was created outside of both of us. Right. And I was so worried that maybe she's not going to love me as much because I didn't birth her. Maybe she's not going to respect me as much because I didn't birth her. Maybe he's not ever going to be able to love me fully, completely because I wasn't able to do this th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th. th th. thi thi thi. thi. thi. thi. to thi. to the. the. the. the. thi. to th thi. thi, th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the to be the the the the the the, the, the, the, the. the the the the the the the the the the the the the. the, the, the, the, not ever going to be able to love me fully, completely because I wasn't able to do this and I'll never know. You know what I mean? Right. And it just, it's brutal and it's heartbreaking and it sucks. But no one

ever tells that story, you know, when I'm reading in People Magazine about someone who's had a baby via you know gestational carrier like we did it was basically like I couldn't found a great like an angel on earth and now our angel is on earth and there's nothing in between there's nothing in between and I felt like okay now again I'm defective because that my story doesn't match that I feel so I just feel messy and icky and and just I feel like I'm covered in like loser juice that I can't get out that I can't get that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that that th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th that that that that that that that that the that that the that the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the th. thi thi thi thi thi thi te te tell tell tell tell. tell tel. tell. tell tell tell tell tell tell tell tell tell the the thi, I just feel messy and icky and just I feel like I'm covered in like loser juice that I can't get out from under. So in just writing it, I started to release it. I started to being able to release it.

Once you name it, claim it and let it go, you know, sometimes I'll write things down that, you know, or I might text you and be like, I really want to to to to to to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, th., thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th, th, th, th................................. And, th, th, th, th, th, th, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, t. t. try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, try, thi. the. the. or I might you know text you and be like I really want to say this and and fuck someone in the face but I'm gonna text you Trevor and and you're like yeah okay don't send that to anyone sometimes that's enough sometimes I write it down and I burn it right just to get it out but with this I know I'm not alone. This is what I would why I would love people to read your book all your books tho th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th th thus tho tho tho tho tho tho tho tho thus thus the tho tho tho tho tho tho th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. I th. I would th. I would th. th. I would why I would why I would why I would why I th. th. th. th. th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I th. I the. I the. I the. I the. I the. I the. I theee. I theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. I'll the. I'll the. I'll the. I the.to read your book. All your books have this, they have you. And in the same book where you're talking about, you know, racism, when you're talking about some of the struggles that you face in the entertainment industry, when you're talking about your achievements and your joys,

and then all of a sudden, in the book, we're talking about a strip club and laxatives, a patient. Yeah. Yeah. And you know people are like, what do you want that takeaway to be from that chapter? The takeaway is perhaps don't take laxatives and then drink Hennessy and go to a place that has exactly one private bathroom that is surrounded by women in various states of undress because it could be explosive. Talk about a painful chapter for my ass. It was embarrassing and there was nothing I could do. Yeah, but I loved how they loved you. That's what I appreciate.

I loved how you talk about how these women came together. There was all these strippers and they were like, you know what, Gab, we got you. We got you. We got you. With the cold rag and right right Because I was sweating I came out of there Do you now have like when you think of strip clubs now do you now? Do you now go oh negative experience or do you feel like no? This is a warm place now. I've been going to strip clubs. thrown. to thrown. I've been going to strip clubs all thoooo, you know, so so so so so so so so so so so so th, so the th, so the th, so the th, so th. the the th. th. their so their so th. th. their so th. th so th so my so my so my th so my th so my th. th. th thi. tho. tho. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. the the the. the thee. they're theeeeeeeeea. they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're they're thrown. the. the.to you know get the diarrhea whatever. No I've been going to strip clubs all over the world. I love I love the celebration of bodies, I love sensuality, I love sexuality, I am here for it and I'm a good tiper. I enjoy it. I enjoy it the whole thing but like in Atlanta and Miami the

strip club is just where you go after the club. Yes right It's the Rihanna. Yes. It's the Rihanna Party of Atlanta. Exactly. That is. I could talk to you forever, but that's why I have the book. Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you for coming on. You look amazing now. You look amazing at the META. And I hope everybody goes out and gets the Daily Show, Week Nights at 11, 10 Central on Comedy Central, and stream full

episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. When 60 Minutes premiered in September 1968, there was nothing like it. This is 60 Minutes. It's a kind of a magazine for television. Very few have been given access to the treasures in our archives. But that's all about to change. Like none of this stuff gets looked at. That's what's incredible.

I'm Seth Done of CBS News, listen to 60 Minutes, a second look on Apple podcasts starting September 17th. This has been a Comedy Central Podcast.