Gabrielle Union Says Michael K. Williams Once Left Her 'Bawling' After Candid Chat: 'He Saw Me'

Gabrielle Union is reflecting on her relationship with Michael K. Williams.

On Friday, Union appeared on Power 105.1's The Angie Martinez Show where she shared more about her friendship with the late actor and revealed how she grieved after hearing the news of his death.

"I think because the root of so many of our relationships with Michael was that he saw us in a way that — I mean to this day I don't know how he knew the things about me that he did," she explained. "I hadn't shared them with anybody. Things I still wouldn't share."

Union, 48, opened up about connecting with Williams while filming The Public. Williams invited her to dinner one night, and as the two were headed out, "he stops on a dime and turns and looks at me and proceeds to tell me about myself," she said.

"I'm trying to scan my brain like, 'Who do we have in common and who would just share this willy nilly with him?' Then I was like, 'Wait, I haven't shared this with anybody,' " she recalled. "I was like, 'How do you know this?' And he was like, 'I see it. I see you.' And I was bawling on the streets of Cincinnati."

She continued, "That was our relationship. He saw me, and he was so present and so amazing. But he also was brutally honest about his own demons and challenges. So nothing is ever a surprise in that way, because he just led with his truth in a way that was so radical and brutal and uncomfortable. You could never claim you didn't know — not with Mike."

Union said that she was in France when she heard the news that Williams had died. During her trip, one of the winemakers that she'd visited had told a story of a tree that his ancestors had planted, which he now calls "The Wisdom Tree."

After Williams died, Union felt compelled to visit the tree and "talk to" Williams, she explained.

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"I swear to god it was like he was standing next to me," she said. "And immediately, I was like, 'Oh his spirit never dies.' His shell is no longer here but his spirit and everything he has been to all of us is never gonna die. And then I felt relief that I hadn't lost him."

She concluded, "I truly believe he was one of those angels on earth. He had a purpose that was beyond anything we could imagine."

Williams was found dead in his Brooklyn penthouse apartment earlier this month. Since his death, numerous celebrities have shared heartfelt tributes to the Lovecraft Country actor.

On Sunday, Kerry Washington honored Williams during the Emmy Awards — where he was nominated for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for his role in Lovecraft Country.

"The nominees for this next award astounded us with each of their uniquely remarkable, memorable performances this past year. But I would like to take a moment to mention one nominee in particular, Michael K. Williams," Washington began her presentation. "Michael was — it's crazy to say Michael was — a brilliantly talented actor and a generous human being who has left us far too soon."