Gabrielle Union Doesn't Have Mom Guilt Over Working, & We Love Her Reason Why

There’s no shame in her game! Gabrielle Union has come out in defense of being a working mom, and the America’s Got Talent judge insists she doesn’t have “mom guilt” for juggling her job and parenting 9-month-old daughter Kaavia. In fact, says Union, doing both actually makes her a better mother — and her reason why will likely resonate with moms everywhere, whether they’re in the workforce or not.

Union addressed her working mom status on Tuesday while chatting with Us Weekly at the America’s Got Talent Live Show red carpet. “I don’t have mom guilt, and I’ll tell you why. Being able to have the job that I love and the baby that I dreamed of [is great]. I’m a better mom because I’m able to go away and do what I love,” she explained, adding, “Even if I failed miserably, I’m following my dreams… I would be less of a mother if I didn’t set out every day to try to make my dreams come true and other people’s dreams come true. So I don’t have guilt.”

Union also revealed that she has felt empowered and supported by fellow parents as she returned to the set of AGT and other projects. “We all grew up like, ‘Go, Mom, go. Go, Mom, go!’ Not like, ‘Why are you missing things?’ but, ‘Way to go, I’m glad you’re living your dream.’ We’re all kind of rooting for each other,” she shared.

Good for you, mama! A cursory glance at Union’s social media would serve as a simple reminder just how devoted the star is to her daughter. As Union previously revealed in her book, We’re Going to Need More Wine, she suffered “eight or nine miscarriages” before she and husband Dwayne Wade welcomed Kaavia via surrogate. “Kaavia’s just amazing,” Union gushed to Us. “I’m so glad that me and my husband and our family just kept trying and plugging away and hoping and praying. She’s all of our dreams come true.”

So, it’s little wonder that Union wants to show Kaavia how important it is to follow your dreams. It merits mentioning, of course, that Union isn’t trying to diminish mothers who don’t have careers. Rather, she seems to be making the point that mothers should serve as role models for their daughters by living their truth and chasing their dreams — whether that means pursuing goals outside of the home or being the best stay-at-home-mom one can be.