Gabrielle Union opens up about her thoughts and feelings during her first marriage to retired NFLer Chris Howard where she reveals she felt “entitled” to cheat since he was cheating and she was the breadwinner in the relationship. Now, the Internet is in heavy debate about double standards when it comes to cheating. More inside…
It’s easy to forget that Gabrielle Union was once married to another man.
In the early 2000s, she got married to former Jacksonville Jaguars running back Chris Howard. They were married from 2001 to 2006. Now, she reveals the marriage should have never happened in the first place, and she explains why in a new episode of Dax Shepard and Monica Padman’s “Armchair Expert” podcast.
The “Bring It On” actress admitted she “felt entitled” to infidelity during their time together. The reason? She was the breadwinner in the relationship.
”That first go-round, I definitely was not getting wife of the year awards. I had some focus issues,” the 50-year-old actor shared. I just felt entitled to it. I was paying all the bills, I was working my a** off and I felt like that’s what comes [with it]. The spoils of riches,” the Bad Boys II star said. “Like my dad before me, whoever has the most gets to do whatever the hell they want, is what I thought. It was just dysfunctional from day one.”
Gabby also revealed that they BOTH were cheating on one another and she admitted she would sometimes cheat on him as revenge.
“In our first marriage, neither one of us felt like the marriage should get in the way of our dating,” she said. “A part of it was keeping up with his activities. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s what you’re doing? Oh, you’re going to feel this one.'”
The Hollywood actress first dished on the red flags leading up to her failed marriage in her 2017 book, “We’re Going to Need More Wine.” She said she should have known the marriage was doomed when he proposed to her while eating KFC chicken and potato wedges. A day after he proposed, Gabby said she found a message that suggested he was having an affair. Despite infidelity creeping into their relationship, she still decided to marry him.
”It was such a stupid relationship that should have never got out of the dating phase,” Gabby said of her marriage in the podcast episode.
Eventually, the couple went to therapy and the therapist even advised them to end it because they didn’t have anything in common.
“The one thing you guys have in common is other people, so why don’t you just be with other people?,” the therapist asked them.
After awhile, she realized this wasn’t how she wanted to live her life.
”I don’t want to live like this,” she said after realizing their relationship was over. “None of this feels good, and it’s exhausting, and I want a love that feels like freedom. I don’t want a love that feels like a gilded cage. And that was the best I could have hoped for before was to have someone else trapped in the gilded cage with me.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Chris Howard to ask him about his ex-wife’s cheating admission and details about their marriage.
”I wasn’t aware of any comments by my ex-wife Gabrielle Union on a podcast or anywhere else,” he said. “What I do know is that she appears to be very happy with her new family, and she’s continued to do very well with her career and activism. I wish her and her family nothing but the best.”
In 2009, Gabby started dating retired NBA baller Dwyane Wade, but they didn’t go public with their relationship until July 2010. The couple tied the knot 2014 and welcomed their daughter, Kaavia, in 2018. D. Wade also has three other children from previous relationships.
The Internet has been debating about the double standards for men and women when it comes to cheating. Peep some reactions below:
So I want all the women who agree with Gabrielle union on cheating to keep that shit in mind next time you feel a man is supposed to be a ‘provider’.
— Screwfacecapone (@screwfacecapone) January 4, 2023
So women on here agree with Gabrielle Union saying she felt comfortable cheating because she paid all the bills. But y’all been on here arguing that a man should pay all the bills… pic.twitter.com/x5bYD8qVZe
— Donnie (@Wells4TheWin) January 4, 2023
Love how disingenuous men are over Gabrielle Union cheating on her first husband & justifying it based on the fact that she made more money.
Cries of double standards while conveniently ignoring that this is how alot of men historically justify cheating on their wives. pic.twitter.com/YEwRqJ921A
— Solange Knowles right hook (@Hazel_ieye) January 4, 2023
So Gabrielle Union basically said cheating is okay if you the one paying the bills say no more pic.twitter.com/DjxJFW1w6G
— Dark Schneider (@litflxcko) January 4, 2023
I seen a few woman speak on the Gabrielle Union situation and a lot of woman said if they paying all the bills by they self they definitely cheating so why y’all be so mad at men when they paying all y’all bills and they out here cheating keep the same energy
— PyMonster ur Bitch favorite (@dollycuteass) January 5, 2023
If u read the article this title should say “Gabrielle Union felt it was fair to cheat because her husband was cheating too. Also, she happened to be paying all the bills.” That’s what it’d say if they weren’t quoting selectively to comment bait twitter to come for a woman
— Arcooteries (@arcooteries) January 4, 2023
Gabrielle union said she and her ex husband where cheating on each other,so why is it being tagged as only she thing?
She never said because she paid for everything that’s why she was cheating. Human beings are irritating and intentionally obtuse just to create agenda,
— Bensira (@habibisira) January 4, 2023
Thoughts?
