Society seems to be slowly chipping away at the institution of marriage. Progressive marriages are becoming more popular every day. Women are keeping their last names rather than taking their husband’s name. Husbands and wives are choosing not to have children because couples are declaring they do not want kids to “disrupt” how they live or impose on their financial security or hinder their travels around the world. Once upon a time, people got married to begin their own family, but now, that seems not to even be a consideration, which leaves me wondering why people are even getting married anymore.
Another phenomenon in this same vein is on the rise: Married couples do not want to blend their individual finances. This brings me to Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade. They have publicly discussed their marriage and their finances, which they split 50/50. Their version of splitting 50/50 means they split costs down the middle; they each pull from their separate accounts to make purchases. They do not combine finances; he has his money and she has hers. To me, this sounds more like what you do when you get divorced. So if this is how people are handling marriage these days — and it seems like more and more people are — then why even get married?
This marriage is definitely not traditional. Union, for example, did not want to lose her last name, so she chose to hyphenate: Union-Wade. They are raising Wade’s 16-year-old son from a previous relationship as a girl, who they are now calling Zaya, despite the fact Zaya’s mother, Siohvaughn, argues Zion is her son and is fighting them in court. Then in 2018, they chose surrogacy to have their child, Kaavia James. So, they have done some things differently in their marriage.
But the cherry on top was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXifG9fYAww" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the interview Union did with Bloomberg</a>. In this interview, she says everything in her household is split 50/50: “It’s weird to say I’m head of household because in this household, we split everything 50/50. But in the other households that each of us has to support, it puts this — there’s always like this gorilla on your back that’s like, ‘You better work! You better work! You want to sleep in? Somebody might not eat.’ And it’s hard.” To be clear, Gabrielle Union is worth about $50 million. Her husband, Dwyane Wade, is worth around $175 million.
Part of what made this interview so compelling and why it went viral is Wade’s net worth. Union says she feels like a gorilla is on her back to support her household when her husband is quite literally worth $175 million. This is bizarre. A couple weeks after Union’s interview, Wade answered some follow-up questions about this on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heSWnZ89qWo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Club Shay Shay podcast</a> saying, “I said something about it being my house that I paid for. My wife looked at me, and she was like, ‘You will never say that again when it’s something that we share.’ So when we moved to L.A., my wife said, ‘I got half on it. You will never say ‘my house’ again.’” He continues in the interview and says their purchases are all 50/50 — their home, anything for their child, anything in their lives — unless the responsibility falls solely to one person.
Wade stipulates there are some responsibilities like Union’s mother, her sisters, her dad — “she has a lot of things she’s responsible for” — that she pays 100% for. Dwyane Wade laughed a lot in this interview while talking about this topic, but does Union seem comfortable when saying she feels such stress because she knows she has other people to take care of? This is not a rational way to think in a marriage. This is not two people becoming one, but two people who have agreed they are comfortable being roommates for a long time.
I know that it has become common for people to normalize things that are so very clearly abnormal. But we should all address the fact this is not something that should be normalized. You are paying for your child as if you are divorced and there is a custody split. Enrolling your child in a private school, paying 50% of the semester while your spouse pays the other 50% of the semester, and taking this money from two separate accounts is not the way to handle finances in a marriage. Wade is professing this as though it’s cool and chic and forward-thinking — but it’s not.
So, what is the purpose of marriage? Marriage is when two people become one. However, now couples are changing what it even means to become one. They do not view marriage as a partnership or a family. Rather, they view marriage as an opportunity for Instagram moments. I think a lot of people get married because they want to have a wedding and post on social media. Couples date for seven years, then finally get married. And even if everyone wonders if they should have gotten married, the general thought is usually: What else were they going to do? She wants a ring, her wedding, and a white dress, and they need to take the tourist hand shot and she-said-yes photo we all see on Instagram after the engagement.
Another reason people seem to get married today is to resolve insecurities. In reality, people do not want to be alone — but that does not mean loneliness disappears once married. Maybe one in the pair experienced a bad relationship in the past or a horrific breakup and they think they will be safe in a marriage because it requires more commitment. After all, it is more difficult to break up a marriage and get lawyers involved. And then there is the obvious: Married couples get tax incentives. They think it makes more sense to be married for the tax break, rather than just agreeing to be roommates.
This is a conversation worth having because I believe if we talk about the corrosion of family values in society, we also need to know and understand that people are not even aspiring to have a family anymore, even when they are entering a union that is meant to represent family. The corrosive elements of these partnerships display anything but God, faith, and the core institution of family.

Candace_3b16x9 copy 12 (2)

Splitting Finances: Stop Normalizing Marriages That Function Like Divorce

Candace Owens

Dwyane Wade

finance

Gabrielle Union

Marriage

Readers Pass

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gabrielle-union">Gabrielle Union</a> and her first husband were unfaithful to one another, but the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">actress</a> says she feels justified in her behavior.
The 50-year-old discussed her stance during an appearance on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast this week. Union <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/marriage">married</a> ex-NFL player Chris Howard in 2001. They divorced after just four years.
&#8220;In our first marriage, neither one of us felt like the marriage should get in the way of our dating,&#8221; Union <a href="https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/gabrielle-union">explained</a>. 
&#8220;A part of it was like keeping up with his activities, like, &#8216;Oh, that&#8217;s what you&#8217;re doing? You&#8217;re going to feel this one,&#8217; and I just felt entitled to it as well,&#8221; she told Shepard. &#8220;I was paying all the bills, I was working my a** off, and I felt like that&#8217;s what comes, the spoils of riches.&#8221;
&#8220;Like my dad before me, whoever has the most gets to do whatever the hell they want is what I thought,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;It was just dysfunctional from day one.&#8221;
Shepard said he could relate to what she was saying as he also had &#8220;complicated&#8221; feelings about cheating on previous partners. The podcast host has been married to actress Kristin Bell since 2013.
&#8220;I wish I had more guilt for some of that,&#8221; Union said of her past infidelity. “It was such a stupid relationship that should have never got out of the dating phase.&#8221;
She also recalled how a therapist &#8220;literally&#8221; told her that she couldn’t fathom how the couple &#8220;made it out of the dating phase&#8221; when she and Howard went to couples counseling sessions.
&#8220;And [the therapist said] we should probably look for a way to amicably dissolve… because you have not one thing in common, no morals, no values,&#8221; Union added. &#8220;The only thing you have in common is other people, so why don&#8217;t you just go be with other people?&#8221;
Union has been married to former NBA star Dwyane Wade since 2014. 
She went on, telling Shepard she was “horny for validation and having certain kinds of guys like me and want me&#8221; while she was married to Howard.
&#8220;In hindsight, yes, I absolutely needed something from them that I was not providing for myself, and neither was my marriage, but I think I provided something for them too,&#8221; Union said.
&#8220;Guys can be just as big as groupies, if not more, than women, so it was a trade off… We were both crappy people going through s*** and clearly not going to enough therapy.&#8221;
&nbsp;

Los Angeles Premiere Of Apple’s “They Call Me Magic” – Red Carpet

Gabrielle Union On Why She Felt ‘Entitled’ To Cheat On Her First Husband: ‘I Was Paying All The Bills’

Gabrielle Union On Why She Felt 'Entitled' To Cheat On Her First Husband

Celebrities

Entertainment

U.S.

Actress Gabrielle Union is known for her stance on trans issues involving children. She and her husband, former professional basketball player Dwyane Wade, have a teenager who identifies as trans. This has inspired Union to become an outspoken advocate for LGBT issues, especially as they relate to kids.
The “Cheaper By the Dozen” actress recently expressed her thoughts during an <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/terrycarter/gabrielle-union-cheaper-by-the-dozen-disney-interview">interview</a> with Buzzfeed. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s important for us to live and love out loud. We didn&#8217;t exactly understand why [supporting Zaya&#8217;s trans identity] was a thing because it&#8217;s like, we love all our kids out loud,&#8221; Union said. Their 14-year-old child Zaya came out as trans in 2019.
&#8220;But it is a thing and a lot of people do need an example,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;[People] do need that [kind of] representation.&#8221;
&#8220;As our children show up, it is our job to believe them when they tell us who they are and not impose our dreams, hopes, fears, and desires on them.”
Next, Union insisted parents should “respect” whatever identities children choose for themselves, including gender identities. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s our job to be loving, compassionate, protective guides for our children, but their lives are their lives and we have to respect that,&#8221; Union explained. &#8220;We do not believe in any kind of shaming for existing. That is bizarre, cruel, [and] harmful.&#8221;
&#8220;So yeah, we&#8217;re gonna post our family, we&#8217;re going to live out loud, we&#8217;re going to love out loud, and we&#8217;re going to speak out loud and lead in however each situation calls for us to be leaders when things are not where they should be,&#8221; she said.
The “Bring It On” actress also had a message for trans kids. 
&#8220;There are people just like you that want you to win in life. And by win, I mean to survive and thrive. And we will find a way,&#8221; she said when asked what her “message for trans kids living in Texas” would be.
“We will not stop working for all of our freedom, our salvation, and our liberation — whether that&#8217;s in Texas, Florida, Idaho, or all the other states that are basically trying to outlaw your existence, demonize and criminalize your parents for loving you. This will not stand. As long as I have air in my lungs, we will be fighting for you and I will not be alone and you are not alone.&#8221;
In 2020, Union said trans kids feel “disposable” if their parents don’t agree to gender transitions.
“I mean, to us, it’s a little odd to get any kind of recognition for doing what, you know, you are supposed to do, which is love and accept and embrace your kids. So it’s odd to get recognition for that,” the actress <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gabrielle-union-transgender-kids-feel-disposable-if-parents-dont-transition-them">told Ellen DeGeneres</a> during an appearance on her show. 
“But unfortunately there are so many people who just don’t. They just don’t. And so many people who really truly feel like their kids are disposable. If they’re not perfect images of them, they aren’t interested. And it’s heartbreaking. So for us, we are just doing what’s natural to us and loving her. There she is! There is our girl. Yeah, we just want happy, healthy, you know, compassionate kids.”

2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones – Arrivals

‘This Will Not Stand’: Gabrielle Union Slams Florida Bill, Says She’ll ‘Live Out Loud’ With Trans Child

Transgender

It seems like there’s no more original thought in Hollywood these days and worst of all, everyone making sequels seems intent on injecting woke messaging into timeless classics. Case in point: the newest Disney remake of “Cheaper By the Dozen,” which even the mainstream critics admit is pointless, charmless, and chock full of not-so-subtle social justice talking points.
The original 1950 version of “Cheaper By the Dozen” was a heartwarming family comedy based on a book by the same name. It was written by two brothers telling the true account of their lives growing up in a family of twelve children.
The movie was already remade once in 2003 starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt as the parents. That version received mixed reviews, but even that wasn’t enough to stop Gabrielle Union from giving “Cheaper By the Dozen” another shot in 2022.
The movie has the main characters Zoey (Union) and Paul Baker (Zach Braff) each with two children from previous marriages. They marry and have two sets of twins, adopt a child, and take in Paul&#8217;s nephew when his sister goes to rehab. This leaves the family with ten children, not twelve, which makes the title utterly pointless.
It&#8217;s significant that the new version features a blended family rather than one woman who birthed twelve children with one man.  One of the best moments in the original &#8220;Cheaper by the Dozen&#8221; happens when the parents introduce a representative from Planned Parenthood to their brood. In the new movie, none of that pro-family messaging exists.
Instead, the family has two dogs named Bark Obama and Joe Biten. One of the white women Zoey meets in her new, more upscale suburban neighborhood doesn&#8217;t feel comfortable around black people. Filmmakers use her character to mock conservatives who move to Idaho to get away from liberal politicians.
Zoey&#8217;s ex-husband Dom complains to Paul about “systemic racism,” saying even though he&#8217;s a famous basketball star, he still frequently gets pulled over by police. “You’ll never understand what I go through,” he tells Paul.
RogerEbert.com gave the film 1.5 stars, <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cheaper-by-the-dozen-movie-review-2022">saying</a>, “The movie awkwardly mixes corny humor, synthetic sentiment, and pointed, if superficial, depictions of overt and subtle racism. Responding to racist micro-aggressions is unfortunately most of what Union is given to do, though she is, as always, graceful and gorgeous, here in a series of excellent hairdos.”
The reviewer also said the movie is “worse than formulaic; it is lazy and condescending to its audience.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Cheaper by the Dozen | Official Trailer | Disney+" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wq8Nsc5r2So?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
There were critics who agreed with the remake’s messaging but thought Union and crew didn’t pull it off too well. 
 Elizabeth Weitzman of <a class="hawk-link-parsed" href="https://www.thewrap.com/cheaper-by-the-dozen-2022-review-disney-plus-gabrielle-union-zach-braff/" data-url="https://www.thewrap.com/cheaper-by-the-dozen-2022-review-disney-plus-gabrielle-union-zach-braff/" data-component-tracked="1">The Wrap</a> wrote &#8220;Just like the product placement, the many frank discussions of privilege, race, and racism are laid atop the movie rather than woven into it. The comic setups are as old as the original source material. Frenetic pacing substitutes for entertainment.&#8221;
The Guardian also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/18/cheaper-by-the-dozen-review-zach-braff-gabrielle-union">described</a> the latest “Cheaper By the Dozen” as a flop, writing, “Its tone wavers even more haphazardly from kids flick to marriage portrait to slapstick comedy to stark commentary on race, without nailing any particularly well and despite endearing commitment from its performers.”
Meanwhile, lead actress Union used the red carpet premiere as an opportunity to express her anger with Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, HB 1557. 
Speaking with <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/gabrielle-union-dont-say-gay-bill-at-disney-premiere-1235113450/">The Hollywood Reporter</a> about the remake, Union said, “We’re blended racially, culturally, with a variety of different abilities. We’ve got co-parenting. We show you the joys of all of this, some of the challenges and we do it in an age-appropriate, family-friendly way but we don’t shy away from anything.”
The outspoken activist actress is an executive producer of the film.
“I’m incredibly proud of this, especially right now, because we actually say gay,” she continued. 
“I don’t want to say shock because hatred doesn’t shock me at this point. I’ve been a black woman in America since ’72. Nothing shocks me, but the fear that gripped me because I know what this leads to,” she continued. “Every moment in history, there has been this moment. We know how this ends. We know where hate and oppression lead. And it can start now with the LGBTQIA community, but if you think that it’s just a them problem, oh baby, you’re next.”
Union didn’t call out Disney by name but implied they weren’t doing enough to stand against the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill. She and husband Dwayne Wade have a child who identifies as transgender. 
“If you’re going to take a stand and be all about diversity and inclusion — and it’s not just about black boxes after George Floyd died — you need to actually put your money where your mouth is,” she said. 
“You can’t stand against hate and oppression and fund hate and oppression. That doesn’t work. Obviously, our family has a big spotlight. My child is one child. There are countless children who deserve peace and the ability to survive and thrive in this world, just like everybody else. And if you think that your kid isn’t next, you are so sadly mistaken.”
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Premiere Of Disney’s “Cheaper By The Dozen”

Gabrielle Union Stars In Disney’s Woke ‘Cheaper By The Dozen’ Disaster

Disney

LGBTQ

Gabrielle Union FP-2

Superstar Actress Turns Heads In Dark Navy Blue Blue Pants Suit

Good Morning America

Actress Gabrielle Union chastised parents who refuse to transition their children into their preferred gender, arguing it makes them feel &#8220;disposable.&#8221;
This past February, Union and her husband, former NBA star Dwayne Wade, revealed that their 12-year-old son now identifies as a female. Appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres show on Monday, Union said that she deserves no recognition for supporting her son&#8217;s transition because all parents should love that. Ellen praised Union for having such unconditional love.
&#8220;I know this is silly to say because, you know, who doesn&#8217;t love their children unconditionally, but I guess a lot of people don&#8217;t. But it&#8217;s so amazing how supportive you&#8217;ve both been,&#8221; said Ellen, as reported by <a href="https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/kristine-marsh/2020/05/04/ellen-pro-abortion-actress-scolds-parents-who-wont-transition">Newsbusters</a>.
&#8220;I mean, to us, it&#8217;s a little odd to get any kind of recognition for doing what, you know, you are supposed to do, which is love and accept and embrace your kids. So it&#8217;s odd to get recognition for that,&#8221; responded Union. &#8220;But unfortunately there are so many people who just don&#8217;t. They just don&#8217;t. And so many people who really truly feel like their kids are disposable. If they’re not perfect images of them, they aren&#8217;t interested. And it&#8217;s heartbreaking. So for us, we are just doing what&#8217;s natural to us and loving her. There she is! There is our girl. Yeah, we just want happy, healthy, you know, compassionate kids.&#8221;
Ellen then scolded parents who try to &#8220;mold&#8221; their kids into what they want them to be instead of what they are.
&#8220;Zaya is very, very lucky to have both of you as parents and it is unfortunate that a lot of people have children thinking they can mold them and make them who they want them to be and have a certain idea of what they are supposed to turn out like. But they all turn out different,&#8221; said Ellen.
In February, Union&#8217;s husband Dwayne Wade <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-dwyane-wade-says-12-year-old-trans-son-changed-her-name-ellen-degeneres-praises-him-on-parenting-skills">appeared</a> on the Ellen DeGeneres show where he hailed his son, now named Zaya, for having the courage to embrace gender transitioning.
“We are proud, when I say proud, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community, and we are proud allies, as well,” Wade said on the show.
“I think going forward I’m ready to live my truth,” Wade recalled his son telling him upon coming out as transgender. “I wanna be referenced as ‘she’ and ‘her’ and I would love for you guys to call me Zaya.”
“I watched my son, from day one, become into who she now eventually come into,” he <a href="https://people.com/parents/dwyane-wade-watched-child-become-who-she-now-eventually-is/">told</a> the “All the Smoke” podcast. “And for me … nothing changes in my love. Nothing changes in my responsibilities. So, all I had to do now is get smarter educate myself more. And that’s my job,” he continued, noting, “You want to talk about strength and courage, my 12-year-old has way more than I have. You can learn something from your kids.”
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Gabrielle Union: Transgender Kids Feel ‘Disposable’ If Parents Don’t Transition Them

Ellen Degeneres