Dwyane Wade Gets Starstruck Meeting Bellamy Young

Los Angeles, CA – Former NBA star Dwyane Wade shared a humorous story about a starstruck moment he experienced in 2013 while attending a Hollywood event. On the July 8 episode of Today with Jenna & Friends, Wade recalled the incident involving actress Bellamy Young, known for her role as Mellie Grant on the hit series Scandal.

Wade, 43, admitted he was tired and ready to go home that night due to uncomfortable shoes, but everything changed when he spotted Young across the room. “I saw Millie Grant. I yelled, ‘Millie!’” he exclaimed during the show. “I just screamed it. I didn’t even know that was in me,” he added with a laugh.

The spontaneous shout caught Young’s attention, and she turned to wave before coming over to chat with Wade. His wife, actress Gabrielle Union, was present and found Wade’s starstruck reaction amusing. “You ready to go?” she asked, to which Wade replied, “No!” wanting to stay and talk.

“When you watch shows, and you’re making sure you’re sitting in front of the TV at a certain hour, you fall in love with the characters,” Wade explained. He noted that he relates more to characters than celebrities.

Union confirmed the story in a 2013 Instagram post, sharing a photo of the trio and writing, “We were about to leave when suddenly @dwyanewade literally screams ‘MILLIE!!!!’ It was so awesome meeting @BellamyYoung.” Wade joked that he was not too pleased with Union being in the photograph, saying, “That was my moment!”

Interestingly, Union had previously auditioned for the role of Olivia Pope in Scandal, which later went to Kerry Washington. “I didn’t get Scandal, but I got something better — which is my own show,” she said, referring to her role in Being Mary Jane. Wade’s starstruck encounter remains a cherished memory for both him and Union.