Actress Gabrielle Union appeared on ABC’s “The View” recently and opened up on why she’s feeling prepared for stepmotherhood and why she refused to become a victim after being raped at gunpoint as a teen. While talking on The View, Ms Union also opened up about her upcoming nuptials and how she is ‘excited’ about being step mom to her fiance’s three children:
On being a child of divorce and becoming a stepmom:
“I’m lucky that I come from a family that went through divorce. My parents were married 30 years before they got divorced and I’m sure after 30 years there was bitterness and anger and resentment and fear and all sorts of things. But I don’t know because they [parents] never made it our issues.
They handled their divorce and our subsequent transition into a blended family with grace and dignity and respect. They aways put us first and didn’t involve us. I’m lucky that I can just mirror what my parents did and always put the kids first. They’re pretty awesome, I’m lucky.”
On people saying “Being Mary Jane” glorifies mistresses:
“I would say keep watching. I’d definitely say keep watching. And for everyone who’s like, “Oh, Mary Jane and Olivia Pope are the new sidechick number two role models,” watch. Watch the show and you will see that there are some consequences.”
On refusing to play the victim after being raped at 19:
“I got sick of people letting me off the hook. Being a victim is so comfortable. People give you attention, people are nurturing, they’re basically what you’ve wanted your whole life without something bad happening. So, when something catastrophic happens, everyone rallies around you. You’re getting all the attention, love and support you’ve always wanted. But it’s not for something positive. I hated that. I hated feeling like a victim. I hated the cloak of victimhood.”
“They were going to allow me to be a victim and not success and not achieve any of my goals and not step outside the box. I want to embrace being a survivor. Because that’s who I am. I wasn’t raised to be coddled. I was raised to be an independent woman, standing on my own two feet.”
Interestingly, Gabby also shared that she wound up suing former employer, after being raped at gunpoint because she was raped at work. According to the “Being Mary Jane” actress, they failed to provide a safe work environment.
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Kanyi Okeke
