Gabrielle Union is finally breaking her silence about the controversial beginnings of her relationship with Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade, claiming unfair allegations caused damage to her career. 
The Think Like a Man star caught heat three years ago when she started dating the NBA player before he had split from his then-wife Siohvaughn Funches. Union took the high road, refusing to respond to allegations that she was a homewrecker, but is now ready to set the record straight. 
"It's hard because aside from loving him, I wanna protect myself," Union told a reporter at last weekend's Radio One Fest in Miami. "I've built my life, I've built my own brand, I've built my own career. And my career took a hit from that madness because some people just refuse to see the truth even when it's presented to them time and time again." 

She continued, "I pay for my family, I pay for my momma and my daddy and my sisters and her family. D doesn't write those checks, I do, so when something is starting to affect how I make a living, no, no, no baby."

Wade's divorce battle with Funches included a lawsuit against Union for "emotional distress," which was thrown out by a judge shortly after it was filed. "Taking the high road sucks," was all she would say when asked about her involvement in the bitter divorce. 

Union claims she held her tongue for the sake of her two stepsons, Wade's children with Funches, whom she wanted to protect from the divorce drama. "Luckily by doing the right thing and putting the children first, it worked out that I was able to save myself."

Now the 39-year-old seems to have it all. "She makes my eyes sparkle," Wade recently told Oprah Winfrey. "We're a family...and it's awesome."

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