Gabrielle Union is getting candid about her first marriage. In a Jan. 2 episode of the podcast “Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard,” Union described the “dysfunctional” five years spent married to professional football player, Chris Howard, who she divorced in 2006. “That first go-round, I definitely was not getting ‘wife of the year’ awards,” she admitted. Union went on to say that after learning about Howard’s infidelity, she herself felt “entitled” to have relationships outside of her marriage.
“In our first marriage, neither one of us felt like the marriage should get in the way of our dating,” she said, evoking laughter from the room. “A part of it was like keeping up with his activities, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what you’re doing? Oh you’re going to feel this one,'” Union continued. “And I just felt entitled to it as well. I was paying all the bills, I was working my ass off, and I felt like that’s what comes – the spoils of riches.”
Although she doesn’t have the same mindset now, Union explained that, “like my dad before me, whoever has the most gets to do whatever the hell they want, is what I thought.” Looking back, Union said she wished she felt worse about her actions than she actually does. “I wish I had more guilt for some of that,” she said. “It was such a stupid relationship that should have never got out of the dating phase.”
Shepard also opened up about his relationship experiences in the episode, speaking about the nuance with which he views his own infidelities. “I have so much regret over what I put some women through, particularly infidelity-wise, it’s just shameful,” he said. But at the same time, “I’m sometimes glad I did it,” he added. “It’s complicated for me. I’m glad I took some of the opportunities that came my way.”
Ultimately, despite what happened in the past, Union and Shepard are both now happily married and raising children. Union shares a 4-year-old daughter Kaavia with Dwyane Wade, who she’s been married to since 2014, and Shepard has two kids with Kristen Bell, who he married back in 2013.