Gabrielle Union Defends Her Comments on Past 'Infidelity'

Appearing on an episode of Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast earlier this month, the 50-year-old actress made headlines over comments about feeling "entitled" to infidelity while married to former NFL player Chris Howard. Union explained that this was due to the fact she was “paying all the bills" during the marriage, which lasted from 2001 to 2006.

Related | Gabrielle Union Opens Up About Anxiety, PTSD After Being Raped

"In our first marriage, neither one of us felt like the marriage should get in the way of our dating," the Bring It On star told Shepard. "A part of it was like keeping up with his activities, like, ‘Oh, that’s what you’re doing? You’re going to feel this one.' And I just felt entitled to it as well."

She also told Shepard that she adopted this mindset in part from her father, noting, "Like my dad before me, whoever has the most gets to do whatever the hell they want, is what I thought."

Union admits that she wishes she felt more guilt about the situation, but clarifies that the relationship should have never gone past the dating a phase. "[A therapist said] we should probably look for a way to amicably dissolve...'because you have not one thing in common, no morals, no values,'" Union told the host.

Following internet backlash over the comments, Union defended her position and past, tellingEntertainment Tonighton Thursday, “If you’re gonna get your panties in a twist about something I’ve been talking about since 2005 — in not one but two New York Times best-selling books — at least listen to the whole thing."

Union, who has self-described the relationship with Howard as "dysfunctional," believes people are upset because of a double standard between men and women in relationships. “People really felt anger that a woman would dare be just as dysfunctional as a man,” she said.

For his part, Howard deflected from the comments and wished Union and her family the best, telling Fox News Digital, "I wasn't aware of any comments by my ex-wife Gabrielle Union on a podcast or anywhere else. 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."

Three years after her split from Howard, Union married pro basketball player Dwyane Wade in 2014. They share a 4-year-old daughter, Kaavia, who they welcomed surrogate in 2018. The couple has earned praise as supportive parents of a 15-year-old openly trans daughter, Zaya, from Wade's previous marriage.

Photo via Getty Images / Jon Kopaloff