Former professional basketball payer Dwyane Wade is not letting his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches accuse him of profiting off their 15-year-old transgender daughter Zaya.
This August, two years after Zaya initially came out as transgender, she and her retired NBA father went to court to petition for a legal gender and name change. However, after beginning the legal process to legally align her gender, Zaya’s mother had complaints. Funches, who was with Wade from 2002 until 2010, was not in support of this transitional milestone.
Objecting to the legal petition filed by Wade, Funches wrote in court documents, “I have concerns that [Wade] may be pressuring our child to move forward … in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies.”
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While Zaya has begun modeling for various companies since coming out as trans, the retired basketball player has adamantly denied profiting off his daughter’s transition. Taking to social media, he expressed nothing but support for his LGBT daughter and wanted to help her become as comfortable as possible.
“I’ve received a social media post about me forcing our 15-year-old child to be someone she’s not and to do something against her will,” he began. “These are serious and harmful allegations that have hurt our children.
Dwyane Wade is ‘disappointed’ in his ex-wife and her lack of support for their children
“I’m very disappointed that she continuously finds ways of centering herself and HER needs, without regard to her children,” the 40-year-old father continued, speaking of his ex-wife’s lack of involvement in their child’s life.
“I’ve given her the opportunity to reach out to Zaya’s teachers, doctors, and therapist over the years and even meet her friends, so she could get her own understanding of our child’s needs for her LIFE!”
Wade also took note of his current wife, Gabrielle Union, and her support of Zaya’s transition. Addressing the accusations Union also forcing the 15-year-old into a trans identity, the basketball player insisted this is entirely untrue. He shared that Union would never, “force Zaya or any of [their] children to do anything against their will, much less force an identity on them.”
“This is a kid who has maintained a 4.0 GPA in honors classes while navigating all this unsolicited and harmful attention and debates about her gender and sexuality from those who are committed to not listening to her, much less even knowing her,” Wade added, speaking highly of his daughter.
“The high road has run out of real estate,” the former NBA star concluded. “My lawyer will be in contact.”
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