Gabrielle Union's First Husband: Who Was 'Bad Boys' Star Married to Before Dwyane Wade?

Image Credits: USA Today Sports and Gabrielle Union’s Instagram

Celebrity power couple Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade‘s marriage has been making headlines recently after some media reports hinted that the duo might be heading towards a potential divorce. While those rumors were soon debunked, Union and Wade’s relationship continues to intrigue the public for a variety of reasons. Union has been happily married to NBA Hall-of-Famer Dwyane Wade since 2014. But who was the Bad Boys II actress’ husband before that?

Gabrielle Union was married to former NFL running back Chris Howard before meeting Wade. She married Howard in 2001 and called it quits four years later, in 2005. Two years after separating from the former Denver Broncos running back, Union would meet Wade at a Super Bowl party. In 2010, the couple would finally make their relationship public.

Earlier this year, Gabrielle Union hurled her former marriage with Chris Howard back into the spotlight by addressing the dynamic of the relationship. The 51-year-old actress claimed, on the Armchair Expert podcast, that she felt entitled to cheat in her relationship with Howard for a couple of reasons. “In our first marriage, neither one of us felt like the marriage should get in the way of our dating,” Union told the host of the podcast.

“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 added. The Think Like a Man actress also claimed that her financial situation also made her feel emboldened about her choices, “Whoever has the most gets to do whatever the hell they want is what I thought.”

Gabrielle Union found love with Dwyane Wade

Union and Wade tied the knot in 2014 and have been happily married ever since. They have attracted a lot of public opinion regarding their conjugal life after deciding to publicize certain aspects of their personal life, like signing a pre-nuptial agreement and their struggles with fertility.

On the other hand, they have also received a lot of backlash for supporting Wade’s daughter Zaya’s transition journey after she came out as a transgender. However, the couple’s bond has only grown stronger with time. They have also been blessed with a daughter Kaavia James, who was born through surrogacy.

Apart from their personal lives, Wade and Union are still winning in their personal lives. After securing a minority ownership in the Utah Jazz last year, Dwyane Wade was inducted into the Naismith Hall-of-Fame earlier this year. On the other hand, Union is also turning heads with her projects in Hollywood.