Tabloids took notice last year when actress Gabrielle Union publicly stated that she was going to seek a pre-nuptial agreement with soon-to-be hubby, Dwyane Wade. Given the high profiles (and purse strings) of NBA players, they're usually the ones asking for signatures from their wives.

However, their wives are not Gabrielle Union.

Wedding Bells For Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union

In a recent interview with Yahoo! Style, the Being Mary Jane actress explained what that pre-nup signified and what made it so important for her.

“For women in Hollywood, when they’re coupling, everything is about the brand," Union said. "Everything is about latching on to a rising star, so you can kick your heels up. That’s never been my story, ever.

"I make sure to let people know all of the hard work that’s gone into my career," she continued. "I want people to know the work that it took to get through UCLA, that I had student loans and worked. I was eating Top Ramen and lived well below my means."

Gabrielle Union Calls Dwyane Wade Pretty Good For an Old 'Geezer'

So, even though Union's now married to one of the NBA's richest and most recognizable faces, she "[wants] to make it clear that I have in no way hitched my wagon to his star. I have my own wagon and star.”

Watch a recent appearance of Gabrielle Union on The Ellen Show below: