Gabrielle Union Was Criticized For Wearing A Thong Bikini At Age 50, And She Responded

Gabrielle Union will wear a thong bikini if she wants to, dammit!

A closeup of Gabrielle looking at the camera while posing on the red carpet at a media event
Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images

The Bring It On star, 50, recently addressed critics who said she was "too old" to wear them at her age after she posted a bikini pic on Instagram.

Gabrielle standing in the ocean while wearing a bikini and sunglasses
Mega / GC Images

"Somebody said, 'You're old enough to be somebody's grandma, why are you still in — like wearing swimsuits?'" Gabrielle recalled on a recent episode of the Who What Wear podcast with Hillary Kerr. "I'm like, 'First of all, they're not just swimsuits. They are thongs.'"

Gabrielle smiles as she takes a picture with her husband Dwyane at an event. She is wearing a body suit and he's wearing leather shorts and a matching open shirt
John Parra / Getty Images for Carbone Beach

Gabrielle said that, despite the criticism, she very much plans to continue wearing her thonged swimwear.

Gabrielle on the red carpet in a sheer dress that shows off the thong bodysuit underneath
Jason Koerner / Getty Images for Netflix

"You're gonna see these cheeks until my ass literally falls off," the actor continued. "And I might just wear a bikini in the casket."

  Nbc / Lloyd Bishop / NBC via Getty Images
Nbc / Lloyd Bishop / NBC via Getty Images

She added, "I don't know. That just might be for you, for that one commenter. ... This is for you, bitch. It's just gonna be like, me in a thong, like, ass up in the casket."

  Alexander Tamargo / Getty Images for BET+
Alexander Tamargo / Getty Images for BET+

Gabrielle mentioned that society puts unfair expectations on women of a certain age and said that this needs to change.

  Karwai Tang / WireImage
Karwai Tang / WireImage

"[When you're] 35, they start treating you like you've got osteoporosis. You start becoming invisible, and it's a weird, empty feeling to feel like you're disappearing in front of your own eyes," she said.

  Momodu Mansaray / Getty Images
Momodu Mansaray / Getty Images

She suggested that this has impacted how she presents herself to the world.

  James Devaney / GC Images
James Devaney / GC Images

"We need to boldly take up space," Gabrielle continued, "and boldly claim and acknowledge our own beauty in all that we do instead of waiting."

  Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images
Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty Images

You can listen to all she had to say here.