ML - Vegas Magazine

2014 - Issue 3 - May/June 11th Anniversary

Vegas Magazine - Niche Media - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.

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watch her file papers. And she was mesmerizing. Her filing papers was pulling focus from Blair Underwood doing surgery. She is incredible." Union's transition to activism was fully realized when her best friend from high school, K ristin Martinez (aka Sookie), died at 32 from meta- static breast cancer. "At the end, Sook turned to me and whispered, 'Don't let my death be in vain. I'm passing the baton. Don't drop it, bitch.'" Union promised her BFF that she wouldn't and, true to her word, she became a Circle of Promise national ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, speaking up all over the world for women living with breast cancer. Mention her mother, Theresa, and Union's voice gets soft, her eyes teary. "For years I didn't get her," she says. "But it was my mom who got up the courage to walk away after 30 years of an unhappy marriage. She handled her divorce with dignity, and she never asked my father for a dime. As her daughter, I asked, 'Why? You're gonna start over?' And she said, 'I went from my father's house to your father's house. I want to get my own house.' I learned a valuable lesson: Take the high road and move on." And that is exactly what Union has done. Not only ha s Dw ya ne Wade put a r ing on it , but he took mont hs to design the 8.5 carat diamond that dominates his fiancée's dainty hand. After a series of ups and downs in their relationship, Wade and his two sons, a long w it h t he nephew he's ra ising, su r pr ised Union w it h a pro - posal—from the four of them. "We were at the construction site in Miami where we're building our dream home—aka the money pit," she says. "I was wearing my Prada com- bat boots, no makeup, and D had a videog rapher recording the whole thing. I went from no kids to D getting full custody, and the next day we had a full house. So it was instant. Our lives never skipped a beat. When you're someone who goes from never having thought about birthing her own babies to a ready-made family that has immediate needs and wants and desires, your life takes a back burner. If I were lucky enough to have one come out of my body, then great, I'd be totally open to that. But D's kids are more than just part of the wedding. They are part of my life. They're a package deal." Although you can't tell by looking at Union's toned body and lineless face, she is nine yea rs older t ha n her bet rot hed. W hat 's t he biggest challenge in marrying a younger man? Without hesitation, she answers, "Music. It's t rag ic. I was in my Jersey Boys fixation, listening to Frankie Valli. And he says, 'Who's this?' I love Shania Twain. 'Who's that?' We're planning the music for the wedding and who we want to perform. I'm like, 'Patti LaBelle.' He's like, 'Ariana Grande.' Our compromise is Beyoncé. Just a lot of Beyoncé and Jay Z. They're the middle ground in our house- hold," she says with a sigh. With her sure-to-be top-grossing movie coming out, a popular series on TV, and a wedding on the horizon, life seems nearly perfect for the very direct, very poised Ms. Union. "Still, I make mistakes," she admits. "And my life is in process. But I know certain things. I feel a responsibility to the people I work with. So I don't do late. I don't do bad attitude. I don't do 'T hose eggs a ren't r ight.' You don't fa ll out. Come prepa red. You be a decent huma n being. A nd it 's like Will Sm it h told me: 'Fa m ily f irst.' Nothing comes before family." After everything Union has been through, does she believe in "happily ever after"? "When I first came out from under the bed, my coach had me write down 10 things that made me happy. All I came up with was ground meat, imitation crab, and a cold beer. And A.J. said to me, 'Gabby, if you don't know what makes you happy, how can someone else know?' So now I finally know: a warm environment with my dude. Our family. Our friends. Our dogs. I still like a cold beer. I love my g irlfriends. They all came to Vegas last year for Memorial Day weekend. I think we got through one day being reasonably respectful. It was like The Hangover, Part 6. We had a ball. 'Is that a chicken? Who brought the chicken?' We've all lived so much, you get to a place where you can let someone else be the appropriate one. I want to drink Champag ne out of the bottle. Ever ybody should dance on the table once in a while. Life is too short." Union f lashes t hat million- dolla r smile, even more spa rk ly t ha n her megawatt ring, and slaps both hands on the table. "I'm finally good," she says, practically levitating from her chair. "Regardless of whatever hap - pens, whatever comes and goes. I'm good." V " YOU GET TO A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN LET SOMEONE ELSE BE THE APPROPRIATE ONE . EVERYBODY SHOULD DANCE ON THE TABLE ONCE IN A WHILE. LIFE IS TOO SHORT." La La Anthony, Meagan Good, Regina Hall, Taraji P. Henson, and Gabrielle Union in a scene from the Vegas-set Think Like a Man Too, opening June 20. VEGASMAGAZINE.COM 117 110-117_F_CoverStory_MAYJUNE_14.indd 117 4/22/14 10:02 AM

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