{blackbabes} Gabrielle Union: I Won't Sacrifice My Relationship for My Career

Balancing a relationship with a demanding career is not an easy task, even for Gabrielle Union.

The actress, 41, reveals in the February issue of Glamour that juggling different projects was a factor in her brief split from new fiancé Dwyane Wade.

"When you're debating whether to go backward or forward, you have to look at the original issue," she says. When she and Wade broke up briefly in 2013, "it was because of distance and scheduling. I finished filming the show, then I flew to Vegas right away to start shooting Think Like a Man Too. I couldn't take time off, and I missed some quality togetherness we desperately needed."

Union, who stars in BET's new original series Being Mary Jane, adds that their time apart gave her enough space to reflect and have a change of heart about their split.

"Over the summer, I reassessed priorities. I'd always wanted an awesome career with back-to-back projects, but I realized I wasn't willing to sacrifice my relationship for it. Moving forward, I decided my work schedule has to make sense for our family," she says.

And as she prepares to become Mrs. Wade, Union says she has an even clearer perspective on handling future hiccups.

"Bottom line: If an issue's a deal breaker, it's a deal breaker," she says. "If your relationship isn't something you're willing to give up and you can compromise, do so."