Dwyane Wade goes to court against his ex-wife’s opposition to their 15-year-old daughter’s gender change

Retired NBA star Dwyane Wade is back in court to fight his ex-wife’s petition to prevent their transgender daughter from legally changing her name and gender.

Wade, 40, argued that he had “full authority” to “make decisions on behalf” of Zaya, 15, when he was awarded custody of their two children in 2011 against his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade. online radar reports.

Funches-Wade had filed an objection in Los Angeles County Superior Court in November to Zaya’s name change, accusing Wade of exploiting her daughter for financial gain.

In his last appearance, Wade said the allegations were “baseless.” He also claimed that his ex couldn’t prove why the name change wouldn’t be in Zaya’s best interest.

Wade argued that a name change would ultimately allow Zaya to have an easier time: “from simple introductions and food orders, to applying for a driver’s license and completing college applications.”

Dwyane Wade (left) has asked the Los Angeles County Superior Court to dismiss his ex-wife’s petition against their transgender daughter’s name change request. Siohvaughn Funches-Wade (right) claimed her ex is pushing a name change for financial gain

Zaya Wade (above), 15, has said she wants the name change after coming out as transgender. Wade says that he has full custody of his children and therefore doesn’t need his ex’s opinion.

The latest dispute between Wade and his ex-wife began when Wade filed documents last August to allow Zaya to legally change her name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade.

In response to the filing, Funches-Wade filed her opposition, saying she wants Zaya to wait until she is 18 before changing her name and claiming that Wade was lobbying for the name change for businesses.

“I am concerned that (Dwyane) may be putting pressure on our son to go through with the name and gender change to capitalize on the financial opportunities he has received from companies,” she said in her legal filing.

She too he cited a conversation in April during which he claims Dwyane told him “a lot of money had already been made and additional money will be made in connection with our child’s name and gender.”

“(Dwyane) told me that he intended to make our son very famous because of the naming and gender issue and also informed me that there would be sponsorships/contracts associated with that,” she says.

Wade called the petition “defamatory” and “nonsensical” as he urged the court last month to allow the name change so that his daughter can “live more comfortably and honestly in all aspects of her life.”

The former Miami Heat star also accused her of picking the details of their custody battle, referencing documents she filed saying Wade would seek her input when making major decisions regarding their two children.

One of the documents reportedly said, “Wade will discuss and obtain information from Funches on major decisions affecting the care, welfare, activities, health, education, and religious upbringing of his two children.”

The documents Funches-Wade filed, however, never indicated that Wade actually needed her permission to make a decision, as he has full custody of them, RadarOnline reports.

The former couple will see each other during a court hearing next week.

Wade has been a vocal supporter of his daughter’s gender identity. The two are shown attending a Disney movie premiere in March 2022.

Siohvaughn Funches-Wade wants Zaya to wait until she is 18 before legally changing her name and gender from male to female

Following Wade’s criticism of her petition, Funches-Wade responded, telling DailyMaili.com that her children are feeling the “excruciating pain” of their parents’ divorce, calling her ex-husband’s comments “completely untrue and very painful.” .

He added that the entire situation is about his son, who “cannot protect himself and protect himself” as the world has a “front row seat to his failings.”

She just wants to protect her children from the ‘tragic events’ that unfold in the spotlight, including bullying.

Funches-Wade said in a statement: “Thank you for the opportunity to respond to recent derogatory statements made by Dwyane Wade, my ex-husband, about me as an African-American woman, mother, and believer in Jesus Christ.”

‘First, these statements are completely false, and second, they are very hurtful. Not just for me, but more importantly for my children, who are just as human and subject to hurt and pain, just like all other children, despite whatever lifestyle they have been allowed.

“They too, like many other children, have experienced the excruciating pain and unique challenges that children experience when their parents divorce.

I am not going to add to that pain by now publicly responding with malicious or hateful comments to Dwyane, despite his decision to tell these damaging lies about me.

From left to right: Dwyane Wade, Zaya Wade and Wade’s new partner, Gabrielle Union

Among Zaya’s new modeling jobs is a contract with Tiffany. She was featured in a recent campaign for the jewelry brand.

She added: ‘Dwyane is still the father of my children and for the sake of my babies, I choose to refrain from speaking negatively about him.

“If I had something to say to him publicly, it would be just one thing: ‘I forgive him again.’

‘It would only be this one thing, because this matter is not about him or me, it is about a child who is otherwise unable to protect himself and himself from the negative consequences of living his life in full view of the world.

‘Yes, the world will see your triumphs, but it will also get a front row seat to your failures.

“There are countless famous adults who have experienced this and suffered severe consequences from anxiety, depression and others are no longer with us because they took their lives under this public pressure and scrutiny.”

In another statement against his ex, Wade lashed out at the idea that he was pushing for the decision and also took aim at his ex, calling her an “absent father” who was selfishly putting himself at the center of his daughter’s transition.

‘Zaya is not the same 3 year old anymore and she is screaming that to the world, but most importantly to her mother! No one in our house would force Zaya or any of our children to do anything against her will, let alone force them to have an identity.

“This is not a game for my family and definitely not for Zaya. This is his life!

Dwyane has spoken openly and frequently about his daughter’s transition and is now an LGBTQ advocate. He is shown in Ellen, describing how Zaya came out to the family.

Funches-Wade and Wade were married between 2002 and 2010. They also have an older son, Zaire, 20.

Wade filed for divorce in 2007, the same year he met Gabrielle Union, whom he married in 2014.

Since 2019, the two have described how Zaya came out to them and how they now know her as her ‘authentic self’.

‘Our (then) 12-year-old son came home… and said, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you. I think going forward, I’m ready to live my truth and I want her and her to be referred to and I would love to be called Zaya,” he told Ellen DeGeneres during an appearance by her on her show.

In a later interview with People, he said Zaya’s transition gave him “hope.” He first discussed his transition in 2019 on Matt Barnes’ podcast, All The Smoke.

‘I had to look in the mirror. When my son at the time was three years old and my wife and I started having conversations about him we realized he wasn’t into the vibe of a kid who [older brother] Zaire was on.

“I had to look in the mirror and say ‘what if your son comes home and tells you he’s gay?’ What are you going to do?

‘You’re going to talk about strength and courage. My 12 year old son has a lot more than me. You can learn something from your children. In our house, that’s all we talk about. We talk about making sure our children are seen by each one of us. We want them to be who they feel they can be in this world. That is our goal.

“I saw my son, from the first day, become what she has now become.

‘And for me, it’s about: Nothing changes with my love. Nothing changes in my responsibilities. So all I had to do now was get smarter, educate myself more. And that’s my job,’ she said.