Though Gabrielle Union is now happily married to Dwyane Wade, she’s no stranger to being candid about her past romantic experiences and how it shaped the woman she is today. During a recent appearance on the Armchair Expert podcast, the Cheaper By The Dozen actress spoke with host Dax Shepard about her first marriage and their decision to partake in mutual infidelity.
“In our first marriage, neither one of us felt like the marriage should get in the way of our dating,” Union, 50, stated. She was married to now retired NFL running back of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chris Howard, from 2001 until 2006.
The Being Mary Jane star later insinuated that it was Howard who initiated the affairs. “A part of it was keeping up with his activities and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what you’re doing? Oh, you’re gonna feel this one.’” She later spoke on her justification.
“I just felt entitled to it, as well. I was paying all the bills. I was working my a** off and I felt like that’s what comes, the spoils of riches. Like my dad before me, whoever has the most gets to do whatever the hell they want, is what I thought,” she reflected. “It was just dysfunctional from day one.”
On a personal note, Union considered herself to be “horny for validation” and wanted to “feel like [she] was worthy and good and valuable and deserving.”
Though she and Howard even tried therapy, divorce was invitable. “It was such a stupid relationship that should have never gotten out of the dating phase,” admitted the doting mother. “We were gifted therapy and the first session, the therapist was like, ‘I don’t know how you guys made it out of the dating phase.’ And we should probably look for a way to amicably [divorce] because we have not one thing in common.”
Stream the full episode below.
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