>
Dwyane Wade’s ex-wife claims he exploits their transgender daughter Zaya, 15, for financial gain
- Dwyane Wade’s Ex-Wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade Filed Paperwork This Week
- She begs a judge to intervene in their daughter Zaya’s transition
- Zaya (formerly Zion) came out as transgender in 2020 at the age of 12
- Since then, she has won lucrative modeling contracts and social media deals
- Siohvaughn fears her father is forcing her to make a decision for financial gain
- She wants Zaya to wait until she’s 18 before legally switching gender
- Neither Wade nor his wife Gabrielle Union have commented on the allegations
<!–
<!–
<!–<!–
<!–
<!–
<!–
Dwyane Wade’s ex-wife has accused him of using their 15-year-old transgender daughter for financial gain and is pleading with a court to intervene.
In court documents filed this week and obtained by The blastSiohvaughn Funches-Wade pleaded with a judge to issue an injunction that would prohibit their 15-year-old daughter Zaya from legally changing her gender from male to female until she is 18.
Zaya, as she is now known, came out in 2020 at the age of 12.
Since then, she has won modeling contracts with brands like Tiffany and amassed hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
She often appears on red carpets with her father and stepmother Gabrielle Union, who have often spoken in interviews about their acceptance of the child and her choice.
Dwyane Wade with Zaya, 15, and wife Gabrielle Union, who have spoken openly about accepting the child’s choice to transition from man to woman
Zaya with Siohvaughn Funches-Wade, who fears her ex-husband is exploiting her for financial gain. She wants Zaya to wait until she is 18 before legally changing her gender from male to female
However, Zaya’s mother claims that Dwyane is pressuring her into the menopause.
“I am concerned that (Dwyane) may be pressuring our child to proceed with the name and gender change to take advantage of the financial opportunities he has been given by companies,” she wrote in her legal filing.
It was in response to a petition from Wade in August to allow Zaya to legally change her name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade.
Siohvaughn quoted a conversation in April in which she claims Dwyane told her “that a lot of money had already been made and that there will be additional money made in connection with the name and gender of our child.”
“(Dwyane) told me that he planned to make our child very famous because of the name and gender and also told me that there would be approvals/contracts involved,” she claims.
“I am concerned about the fact that our child is being commercialized at a young age and also about the uncontrollable consequences of media attention, such as cyberbullying, out of context statements and/or photos of our child and the unwanted spotlight on our child. ‘
Zaya was Zion (far right) until she came out at age 12. She is shown with older brother Zaire and mother Siohvaughn
Siohvaughn and Wade were married between 2002 and 2010. They also share the eldest son Zaire, 20
Since coming out as transgender at age 12, Zaya has won modeling contracts with brands like Tiffany. She was featured at Paris Fashion Week last month
Zaya with older brother Zaire, stepmother Gabrielle Union, father Dwyane and half-sister, three-year-old Kaavia James
Neither Union nor Wade has publicly commented on the claims.
A hearing is scheduled for December.
Siohvaughn and Wade were married between 2002 and 2010. They also share eldest son Zaire, 20.
In his August file, the former athlete claimed he had legal authority to make decisions on behalf of his daughter, and that he only informed his ex-wife “as a courtesy.”
Wade described how Zaya came to him and his wife Gabrielle Union and told Ellen DeGeneres, “Our (then) 12-year-old came home…and said, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you.
“I think in the future I’ll be ready to live my truth and I want her to be referred to as her and her and I’d love it if you guys call me Zaya.”
Dwyane has spoken openly and often about his daughter’s transition and is now an LGBTQ advocate. He can be seen on Ellen in 2020 and describes how Zaya came out to the family