Dwyane Wade Defends Daughter Against Ex-Wife’s Objection to Name, Gender Change

A Google search of Zaya Wade should result in a flood of high fashion pictorials and shots of the 15-year-old wearing Miu Miu, Fendi, and Gucci at Paris Fashion Week. Instead, searches for the daughter of retired NBA player Dwyane Wade have been obscured by the transphobic claims of her birth mother.

Siovaughn Funches-Wade, Wade’s ex-wife, alleged in a filing Tuesday that Zaya’s father is “positioned to profit from the minor child’s name and gender change,” according to People. Funches-Wade is fighting to block Zaya, who is under full custody of her father, from legally changing her name and gender before she turns 18 years old. “I have concerns that [Dwyane] may be pressuring our child to move forward with the name and gender change in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies,” she claimed in the filing.

Funches-Wades’ claims come as a response to a petition Wade filed in August to help his daughter change her name and gender. In 2019, at 12 years old, Zaya came out as trans with the help of Wade, who told Today at the time, “Nothing changes with my love. Nothing changes in my responsibilities.”

Wade and Funches-Wade married in 2002 and divorced in 2010. They share two children, including Zaya and 20-year-old son, Zaire. (Wade retains sole custody of both kids.) In 2014, Wade married Gabrielle Union, and together have a 3-year-old daughter named Kaavia. Though Union is technically Zaya’s stepmother, the actor has been a part of Zaya’s life for almost a decade and has consistently spoken in support of Zaya’s gender identity.

Zaya’s birth mother would like the teen to make decisions around her gender identity when she turns 18, the “age of majority,” claiming there will “likely be media pressure on the minor child,” around the decision. Arguments like this are common dog whistles for transphobia, given they rely on the assumption that a minor’s gender identity is a temporary phase, and that changing their identity regardless of gender affirmative surgery is something they’ll come to regret (studies show they largely will not). The 41-year-old also claimed that, in April, Wade “informed” her that “a lot of money had been already made and that additional money will be made in relation to our child’s name and gender issue,” People reports.

But Wade responded to the allegations in an Instagram post on Thursday and said, essentially, not today:

“These are serious and harmful allegations that have hurt our children,” he wrote, claiming that Zaya’s birth mother hasn’t been to a single school recital, graduation, school dance, or parent-teacher conference to support Zaya. “While none of us are surprised by Siohvaughn’s attempt to fight Zaya’s identity and her unwavering attempt to drag me through the mud, I’m very disappointed that she continuously finds ways of centering herself and HER needs without regard to her children.”

Zaya’s identity is not a “gender issue,” as her birth mother claims it is. Actually, it’s not even an issue. Through her public persona, the teen appears to already know exactly who she is.

“The high road has run out of real estate,” Wade concluded. “My lawyer will be in contact and best of luck to the 14th lawyer as they try to unravel this book of lies that’s been sold to them.” I am not sure if he’s being facetious about 14 lawyers, but if so, sending my best wishes to the first 13 for having to deal with this mess.