It has always been an ongoing debate in Hollywood on whether women can truly have it all - a successful career and a happy family life. In the public eye, actress Gabrielle Union seems to have it all, but now the actress has revealed that choosing her career over having children may have robbed her of a special opportunity.
In a recent interview with Redbook Magazine for the October 2015 issue, the 42-year-old, who married NBA star Dwyane Wade last year, got candid about her struggles on deciding if and when to start a family and the discrimination against mothers in the workplace.
"The reality is that women are discriminated against in the workplace for being mothers," Union explained. "As much as there are strides being made - you get pregnant, your career takes a hit. You can't have a bad day. Don't you dare cry at work; don't raise your voice; especially if you're a black woman in corporate America - now you're 'the angry black woman.'"
Union also commented on IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) and the pressures of trying for a family later in life, saying, "So far, it has not happened for us. A lot of my friends deal with this. There's a certain amount of shame that is placed on women who have perhaps chosen a career over starting a family younger. The penance for being a career woman is barrenness. You feel like you're wearing a scarlet letter."
After tying the knot last August, Union became a stepmother to Wade's three children: Zion, 8, amd Zaire, 13, who are from a previous relationship, and the basketball player's youngest child, 20-month-old Xavier, who was conceived while Union and Wade took a break from their relationship. The couple also raise Wade's nephew, Dahveon, together.
The couple honored their first wedding anniversary by posting clips from their ceremony. The "Being Mary Jane" star also commented on the nearly 10-year age gap between her and her 33-year-old athlete husband.
"I realized his friends, his teammates, were conceived when I was, like, a senior in high school," Union joked. "I was in high school at the same time as their parents! Sometimes he'll be like, 'Oh, my God, he's so old!' about someone who's 35. But, Dwyane's 33, and I'm a young 42, so it balances out."
The Redbook October issue also features TV personalities Erin Andrews and Maria Menounos, who also shared their opinions about marriage and having children later in life.
