Gabrielle Union Opens Up About the Difficulties of Getting Pregnant at 42

Gabrielle Union, the star of BET's hit show Being Mary Jane was recently featured in Redbook. The 42-year-old newlywed opened up about being married to a younger man and the possibility of having children.


"I realized his friends, his teammates, were conceived when I was, like, a senior in high school. 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 an old 33, and I'm a young 42, so it balances out," she admitted Redbook.
Union told Redbook that she hopes to start a family with Wade, although she has put her career first in the past "So far, it has not happened for us. A lot of my friends deal with this," she explains. "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."

Union also discussed the set of challenges mothers, especially black mothers, face in the work place. "The reality is that women are discriminated against in the workplace for being mothers. 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.'"