Dwyane Wade's family were initially sceptical about his age gap with Gabrielle Union

She told Michelle Obama's IMO podcast: "When I first met his family, the older sisters, who are closer in my age, immediately good.

"We're good in the hood. But with [older sister] Tragil, because she has been the protector... She has been the watchdog.

"She has been the gatekeeper to keep him sane and to keep him doing everything he needs to do without interference from anybody."

Gabrielle admitted Tragil and their mother Jolinda even questioned her on her motives before the tied the knot.

She recalled: "Before I got to the wife stage, like when we were just the very beginning, I think Tragil and his mom were like, 'What do you want? Who are you, you older lady? What do you want?'

"I was like, 'Actually, we both just got divorced, so we're kind of in the same space.

"'I didn't have a kid at 20, I'm still childless, and I'm not racing to do that, so I'm straight. I got my own bank account, so I'm good. I just like him, we'll see where it goes.' "

Gabrielle revealed how it took her "years" for both sides to really "earn" each other's trust.

She said: "It took some years, really, to earn their trust and also for them to earn my trust so we could be comfortable equally.

"Now, it's easy, because we are all on the same side.

"But you want that grace, you give that grace and you eventually receive that grace. But it's a learning curve, for sure."