Gabrielle Union Says She Would’ve Given Up Acting If She Landed 2Pac’s ‘California Love’ Audition

    Tupac Shakur was more than a sex symbol in the 1990s. The late rap legend has had many stories told about his influence in Hip Hop, from close relationships with Jada Pinkett Smith to dating Madonna.

    While promoting her new book You Got Anything Stronger?, actress-turned-author Gabrielle Union joined former NBA star JJ Redick and Tommy Aptler on their The Old Man and the Three podcast and revealed her own Pac story and how she only fell into acting after attempting to live out her dream of the moment: being a model.

    After landing an internship during her senior year at UCLA, Union had no intentions of acting, but the bug found her anyway.

    “I had such low self-esteem, I wanted to be a video hoe so bad. That’s all I wanted,” she told Redick and company around the 12:45 mark. “I didn’t wanna be in movies, I didn’t wanna be in commercials, I wanted to be the chosen video hoe. Well, that’s what we called them then, now they are ‘video vixens’, ‘IG models,’ yeah.

    “But I wanted to be like a hot bitch, except I lacked all of the necessary accouterment like big boobs or an ass. It wasn’t really the desired look at the time. I was literally auditioning for the ‘California Love’ video with Tupac and 20 of his closest friends.’”

    The audition didn’t pan out for Union, but she did star as a video vixen for several music videos, including LL Cool J’s “Paradise” and Busta Rhymes’ “I Love My Chick.”

    2Pac's Nephew Malik Shakur Reveals How Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation Is Saving Lives In 2021

    In Union’s eyes, landing those videos only came after her head-turning role in the 2000 teen flick Bring It On. Still, not a bad video résumé for the actress who would go on to land roles in Bad Boys II alongside Will Smith, Cradle 2 The Grave with DMX and more.

    Relieve 2Pac’s iconic “California Love” video below.

    8 thoughts on “Gabrielle Union Says She Would’ve Given Up Acting If She Landed 2Pac’s ‘California Love’ Audition

    1. They gonna get her for that video hoe quote. A statement about being insensitive and not meaning to hurt anybody should be coming here soon.

    2. Another day another celebrity using 2pacs name for a little press. It almost seems like not much of real substance has been done in hip hop since Pac died 25 years ago.

      1. Says the guy that stopped listening after 25 years. Hip-hop was still good after pac died and he wasn’t the best by a long shot

        1. Not really, but you have to admit none of the stuff has had the same kind of impact as 90s hiphop. Just look at the BLM protests/riots. They didn’t bump Kendrick or Cole while they were out there, they bumped Pac. On the news, they were quoting Pac lyrics to talk about the events. Makes you wonder what hiphop has been doing wrong for the last 25 years.

    3. Who writes these garbage headlines with incorrect grammar? It should be “given up” not “gave up.” Whatever happened to journalistic integrity? Guess this site doesn’t care about that.

        1. Yeah because correct grammar has everything to do with ones sexual prowess. And you must be one primitive ass creature, still using words like pussy and referring to women like objects one can “get.” Grow up child.

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