Gabrielle Union says her first marriage was "dysfunctional" from the very start.

The 50-year-old actress initially tied the knot with NFL player Chris Howard, 47, in 2001 but they split in 2005 and she has now admitted that neither of them felt that their marriage should "get in the way" of them dating other people and so they both felt "entitled" to be unfaithful to one another.

Speaking on 'The Armchair Expert' podcast, she told host Dax Shepard: "In our first marriage, neither one of us felt like the marriage should get in the way of our dating. 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. Whoever has the most gets to do whatever the hell they want is what I thought," she recalled. "It was just dysfunctional from day one!"

The 'Bring It On' star went on to marry former NBA star Dwyane Wade and has four-year-old Kaavia with him and is also raising Zaya, 15, and Zaire, 20, from his former marriage to Siohvaughn Funches while Chris - who has been engaged to Sonia Arenatold since 2009 - previously insisted that there was no bad blood between the pair and he wished his former spouse the "best" in life.

He said: "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. I wish her and her family nothing but best."