Dwayne Wade's ex-wife is accusing the basketball player of exploiting their trans child Zaya for financial gain.
via Page Six
Siohvaughn Funches-Wade objected to her ex-husband’s petition to legally change the 15-year-old’s name due to “multiple factors” outlined in court documents obtained by Page Six.
The author, 41, alleges that Wade, 40, “is positioned to profit from the minor child’s name and gender change with various companies through contacts and marketing opportunities including but not limited to deals with Disney.”
She adds, “I have concerns that [Wade] 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.”
Funches-Wade claims that during an April 2022 meeting with Wade in Atlanta, the former pro baller told her that “a lot of money had been already made” in relation to Zaya’s “name and gender issue.”
“[Wade] told me that he intended to make our child very famous due to the name and gender issue and also informed me that there would be endorsements/contracts associated therewith,” the public speaker further alleges, according to the report.
Funches-Wade then uses her trans daughter’s deadname in the filing, claiming, “Zion, who was present at the time, answered that various companies were interested and that Disney was a prospective company.”
Wade’s ex-wife also alleges in the objection obtained by the outlet that because Zaya’s transition has been highly publicized, “there will likely be media pressure on the minor child.” She asks that Zaya make this decision for herself when she is “at the age of majority” in two and a half years.
Funches-Wade’s filing is not yet listed on the docket, and Wade has not filed a response. Page Six has reached out to the former couple’s reps and attorneys for comment.
In his original petition filed in August, Wade argued that he had “full authority” to request Zaya’s legal name change without the consent of her mother.
However, the former Miami Heat player stated in the court filing that his ex-wife had “received notice” of his petition “as a courtesy.”
Wade first shared Zaya’s coming out story on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” in February 2020, stating that the then-12-year-old told him and his wife, Gabrielle Union, that she was “ready to live [her] truth” and asked them to refer to her using female pronouns.
On social media, the teen appears to have fully embraced her identity as a trans woman on her own and has included “she/her” pronouns in her bio.
Wade told “GMA” anchor Robin Roberts in February 2020 that Zaya has known her true gender identity “since she was 3 years old.”
In addition to Zaya, Wade and Funches-Wade share a 20-year-old son, Zaire. The athlete also has two younger children: son Xavier, 8, with Aja Metoyer and daughter Kaavia, 3, with Union.
The Blast was first to report the news of Funches-Wade’s objection.
From what I have gathered by following Zaya's journey as a transgender teen is that everything that's happening with her is her decision, and Dwayne and stepmom Gabrielle Union are providing Zaya with moral support.
If Zaya comes out and says this is her decision, and that she's not being pressured, her mother will immediately accuse Zaya of being brainwashed.
I know it's hard for some to believe, because people tend to look at children as not knowing what they want, but there are a lot of kids who are self-assured at a young age.
I truly believe Zaya knows who she is, and I just love that we are witnessing something rare - a black couple (Dwayne and Gabrielle) supporting their black trans child unconditionally.