Kaavia Wade goes viral for unimpressed look at school Christmas play
The toddler is known for her “shady” facial expressions.
The 3-year-old daughter of Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade has gone viral, yet again, over a photo of her looking unimpressed at a holiday performance at her school.
Union shared a clip of Kaavia James on Instagram, in which the adorable toddler is seen wearing a Santa-themed dress. As she makes her way to the stage, she gives Wade a high-five before they embrace. The clip then jumps to Kaavia James onstage, looking disinterested in the joyful activities around her. Union captioned the video, “They say the holiday season is upon us. Kaavia James disagrees ??????”
In another clip, Kaavia is on stage giving her classmate the side-eye. The tot is known for her hilarious “shady” facial expressions. Union and Wade released a children’s book inspired by their daughter titled “Shady Baby”.
As previously reported by theGrio, Kaavia James was born in November 2018 after an emergency c-section; during her birth, Union was “seized in a full release of every emotion. Relief, anxiety, terror, joy, resentment, disbelief, gratitude . . . and also, disconnection,” she wrote in her book, You Got Something Stronger?
In the book, Union unpacks her experience with using a surrogate to deliver her daughter. She recalls being advised toward surrogacy after an adenomyosis diagnosis and many miscarriages. She said the decision was difficult because she desperately wanted to experience being pregnant, and she admits she wanted to be publicly pregnant.
Union explains in the book that even during the pregnancy, she still felt sadness and grief in her inability to physically carry her daughter. She noted that she was “grateful,” but was sad until the five-month mark in the pregnancy when she allowed herself to feel confident.
On Friday, Union discussed the challenges of being a working mother, PEOPLE reports. She is also stepmom to Wade’s children — Zaire, 19, Zaya, 14, and Xavier, 8.
“Hardest part about being a working Mom is missing important events in your kid’s lives. Today I missed @kaaviajames holiday program at school and felt so awful to disappoint her,” she wrote. “So I did the next best thing and I became her hype woman before I left for work. ?????”
Union penned an essay for Refinery29 last year in which she opened up about not having ”mom guilt” for having her first child in her late 40s.
“Coming into the parenting game late, as a 46-year-old rookie with my first biological daughter, Kaavia, I had already experienced the best and the worst of what the world has to offer,” Union wrote. “I have decided I’m not going to feel guilty for working. I’m not going to feel guilty for self-care. I’m not going to feel guilty for prioritizing myself, because I know I can’t be a great mom if I’m not a great person.”
“I refuse to take on guilt,” she added. “Because even when you succumb to all the guilt and stress, and you do everything that society tells you you’re supposed to do to be a perfect mom, your kid might still get an F. Your son might display misogyny and toxic masculinity. Your daughter may be the absolute opposite of what society says is an acceptable woman. You could be perfect, or you could be less than perfect, and your kids are going to be who they are. All we can do is our best to instill some peace, joy, grace, compassion, and a sense of community. All we can hope is that we raise people who are going to be accountable for themselves.”
“We’re all built differently, and I have zero guilt about that,” she said.
This article contains additional reporting from theGrio’s Biba Adams.
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