Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade - Patti LaBelle

Actress Gabrielle and ex-professional basketball player Dwayne met years before they eventually got together, and it was Stir It Up legend Patti who encouraged The Perfect Find's Gabrielle to date the Miami Heat alum.

Appearing on an October 2017 episode of The Late Late Show, Gabrielle told host James Corden: "I had a boyfriend when I met him, and Dwyane, he’s a bit younger than me, so it felt like he was 12. He was super shy and quiet.

"I had brought Patti LaBelle — that was my crew at the time - my day one, my OG.

"So she was like, 'Girl, you better drop that zero and get you a hero,' and so, it was Ms. Patti that nudged me in the direction."

Gabrielle and Dwayne got married at Chateau Artisan, Homestead, Florida, in August 2014.

The couple welcomed daughter Kaavia into the world in 2018.