Gabrielle Union in October.
CNN  — 

Gabrielle Union is sharing more about her first marriage that she describes as “dysfunctional from day one.”

During a recent conversation on the podcast “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard,” the actress and author talked about being married to former professional football player Chris Howard, whom she divorced in 2006 after five years of marriage.

Shepard mentioned feeling guilty about his own past infidelities and Union allowed that she was not “getting wife of the year awards” when it came to her marriage to the ex-Jacksonville Jaguars player.

“In my 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 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.”

“The Inspection” star said she “was paying all the bills. I was working my a** off and I felt like that’s what comes, the spoils of riches.”

Union has been married to another former professional athlete, NBA star Dwyane Wade, since 2014. She said she wishes she felt more guilt about her behavior during her first marriage.

“It was such a stupid relationship that should have never got out of the dating phase,” she said of her marriage to Howard.

CNN has reached out to Howard for comment.