Actress Gabrielle Union’s candid 2023 remarks about her first marriage have resurfaced and gone viral across social media platforms this month, reigniting debates around infidelity, financial power dynamics, and double standards in relationships.
During a January 2023 appearance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Union spoke openly about her turbulent marriage to former NFL player Chris Howard from 2001 to 2006. She admitted to cheating during the marriage, explaining that she felt entitled to do so because she was the primary breadwinner.
“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,” Union said. She added the now-viral line: “Like my dad before me, whoever has the most gets to do whatever the hell they want, is what I thought.”
Union and Howard met in 1999 at a Jacksonville, Florida, party before marrying in 2001. From the beginning, Union described their relationship as dysfunctional, noting that “neither one of us felt like the marriage should get in the way of our dating.”
Both partners were unfaithful. For Union, part of her behavior was retaliatory: “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.’”
According to Union, their couples therapist bluntly declared,
“You have not one thing in common — no morals, values, scruples. The one thing you both have in common is other people.” The therapist suggested they part ways, stating their relationship “should have never gotten out of the dating phase.”
Clips of the interview began recirculating in September 2025, sparking widespread online debate. Some praised Union’s honesty, while others condemned her reasoning.
On Reddit, one commenter argued: “A significant percentage of married men (in history and now) believe this wholeheartedly and practice it. She just said the quiet part out loud and is being honest.”
Meanwhile, critics contended that financial dominance cannot excuse infidelity, regardless of gender. Many compared Union’s stance during her first marriage with her current marriage to NBA star Dwyane Wade, where she has publicly shared that they split expenses evenly.
Since her divorce from Howard, Union has spoken about the evolution of her relationship. Married to Wade since 2014, she has emphasized the importance of trust, vulnerability, and mutual respect.
She has also linked her earlier mindset to past trauma, citing her experience as a survivor of sexual assault at age 19 and her subsequent PTSD diagnosis as shaping her hyper-independence and “scarcity mindset.”
Union’s resurfaced remarks underscore how celebrity confessions can have renewed relevance years later, sparking conversations that reflect evolving societal values on relationships, gender roles, and accountability.
