Who was Gabrielle Union’s first husband Chris Howard? Actress once admitted that they were dating separately during their marriage

Actress Gabrielle Union once opened up about how both her former spouse ex-NFL player, Chris Howard and she dated separately during their marriage.

During an interview with Dax Shepard on an episode of his Armchair Expert podcast in January 2023, Union spoke about her first marriage, claiming that neither of them were faithful in their marriage. According to ABC News, she said:

“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 keeping up with his activities and I was like, 'Oh, that's what you're doing? Oh, you're gonna feel this one.'”

Her past admission has brought her husband Chris Howard to the spotlight. Born on May 5, 1975, in Louisiana, Howard is known for playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars between 1998 and 2000. He parted ways with Union in 2006 after tying the knot in 2001.

Continue to read more.

All we know about Chris Howard amid his former wife’s infidelity claims

Chris Howard grew up in Kenner, Louisiana, in a subdivision called Lincoln Manor. He has a brother who is 15 years his senior, and a sister who is 10 years his senior.

He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1994 to 1997, according to his data in the Pro Football Archives. He was later drafted by the Denver Broncos in the NFL in 1998. He then joined the Jacksonville Jaguar, where he played for several seasons.

Chris Howard's parents worked full-time. According to his interview with Merging Vets & Players, he said:

“My father retired from 30 years at the Borden ice cream plant; my mother managed the opening of new dry cleaning stores for a local franchise. Both were volunteer coaches for town sports teams through the City of Kenner Recreation Department.”

When Chris Howard was eight, his father did not approve of him playing football because he thought he was too small, but his mother supported him. She signed him up with a team outside his neighbourhood. He said:

“I scored five touchdowns and rushed for over 150 yards in my first game against my own neighborhood team. We went undefeated in my first year playing football. Needless to say, the following year I was playing for my neighborhood team.”

Howard attended the John Curtis Christian High School from 5th to 12th grade in River Ridge, Louisiana. He said:

“I made a name for myself in high school, and in my sophomore year, I started hearing from college recruiters. I had narrowed it down to five schools: UCLA, Notre Dame, University of Florida, University of Tennesee, and the University of Michigan."

He added:

Trending

"After I toured the University of Michigan, I loved the players, the coaches, the academics, and the fact that it didn’t feel like a fast, northern city—it was slow enough for me, although the cold weather and snow was an adjustment.”

Chris Howard met Gabrielle Union at a party in 1999, after which they married two years later. But their marriage failed to last long as they eventually separated in 2005. Their divorce was finalized in 2006, according to The Hollywood Gossip.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback