Gabrielle Union recently admitted that she felt entitled to cheat in her first marriage, partly because she was the one who paid the bills.
During a recent episode of Dax Shephard's podcast 'Armchair Expert', the 50-year-old got candid about her previous relationships, with the host branding them as "identical" due to their past actions.
It started off with the Shephard admitting that while he did feel guilty in some instances of infidelity, he was glad he did it sometimes.
"Life's short and it's one trip here," he shared. "It's complicated for me. I'm glad I took some of the opportunities that came my way."
Union also echoed a similar view, stating that she was unfaithful during her first marriage to NFL running back Chris Howard and that she wished she had more guilt about it, but instead she just thought of it as "a stupid relationship that should never have gotten out of the dating phase."
"I definitely was not getting Wife of the Year Awards," Union admitted. "I had some focus issues, you know."
She continued: "In our first marriage, neither one of us felt like the marriage should get in the way of our dating," later adding that in response to her ex-husband's behavior, she also acted out.
"I was like, 'Oh, that's what you're doing?'"
Then she'd hit back with, "You're gonna feel this one."
However, it wasn't just about trying to get some form of revenge on him.
Union admitted she also felt "entitled" to cheat because she was paying the bills.
"I felt that that's what comes, the spoils of riches," she explained. "Like my dad before me, whoever has the most gets to do whatever the hell they want, is what I thought."
Both Union and Shephard then came to the conclusion that their behavior was reflective of something missing within themselves.
"[I was] horny for validation and having certain kinds of guys like me and want me. That made me feel like I was worthy and good and valuable and deserving."
Though the couple did try therapy initially, they soon realized that they just weren't meant to be.
When asked if it became different once she ended that toxic relationship and began seeing her current husband, Dwyane Wade, the 50-year-old actress said: "I think initially it wasn't different" before also adding that it took some self-reflection and hard work to maintain.
"We randomly came back around as more healed people and more open to understanding our complicity in some of the challenges that we created for ourselves.
"We are way easier to point the finger, 'you did this to me, you caused that, this person did this,' and it's like, okay, we're grown," Union explained. "I'm super-grown at this... I'm 40 plus at this point and it's like, I don't want to live like this. None of this feels good and it's exhausting and I want a love that feels like freedom."
"Now we're both free and we are free to choose ourselves and free to choose each other every day, which is a completely different sentiment," she told Shepard.
Well, we're glad things worked out for Union in the end!