Dwyane Wade has denied the allegations levelled against him by his ex-wife, Siovaughn Funches-Wade where she filed a petition objecting to legally changing the name and gender of their daughter Zaya, and alleging that the former NBA star is “positioned to profit” from the change and expressing concerns that he “may be pressuring” Zaya for financial gain.
Dwyane Wade who in a statement on Thursday 3rd October 2022, broke his silence about the allegation, stated that he was not surprised about the allegations, and although the medium to which Siovaughn Funches-Wade had taken to make these allegations were not his style, he is going to reply her using the same medium, which is social media.
Taking to his official social media, Dwayne Wade labelled Siovaughn Funches-Wade an absentee mother to their two children, saying:
“Since this must be the new way of parenting, i guess i have to address these allegations here, which is a damn shame.
While i am on a life-changing trip in our motherland, Africa, I have received a social media post about me forcing our 15-year-old child to be someone she is not and to do something against her will. These are serious and harmful allegations that have hurt our children.
While none of us are surprised by Siohvaughn’s attempt to fight Zay’s identity and her unwavering attempt to drag my name through the mud, i am very disappointed that she continuously finds ways of centring herself and HER needs, without regard to her children. This report came out while Zaya was in class.
This is a kid who has maintained a 4.0 GPA in honour classes file 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!
Sioahvaughn tried a similar attempt over a decade ago ( with equally damaging lies and causing irreparable harm to her children) and 13 lawyers later, i was awarded sole custody of our two kids as an active NBA player! All I ever wanted was to have my parenting time uninterrupted as I knew that it would be a very difficult time for our kids to navigate their new norman.
So Instead of actually trying to co-parent over the years, she’s left her home to see more lawyers and has taken the time to talk to more lawyer since i filed for divorce than she’s left her home to actually see or have truly spoken and listen to zaya over all these years.
I have given her the opportunity to reach out to Zaya’s teachers, doctors and therapists years and even meet her friends, so she could get her own understanding of our child’s need for her Life she wound to it! She has not been to a school, recital, graduation, school dance, play date, practice, parent-teacher conference etc and Zaya has given her every opportunity to try get to know her she won’t do it!
Concluding his long note, the NBA star, added:
“As a woman who claims to be a “good Christian” mother, i have yet to see her make any sacrifice or effort to leave her own home to participate in her children’s lives in over a decade. Zaya is not that same 3-year child anymore and she’s screaming that to the world but most importantly to her mother! No one in our house would ever force Zaya or any of our children to do anything against their will, much less force an identity on them. This isn’t a game for my family and definitely not for Zaya. This is her life! All the while my wife and our village has been her rock in helping her pick up the pieces after heartbreak after heartbreak.
Siohvaughn has decided to pretty much be an absent parent of Zaya All On Her Own. As men, we get a bad rep for not showing up and being absentee fathers, well that’s not the case here because i am ten toes down and i am still going through the BS I will not sit on my hands this time and allow her to make a mockery of my dedication to my family. The high road has run out of real estate. My lawyer will be in contact and best of luck to the 14th lawyer as they try to unravel this book of lies that have been sold to them,” he added.
The Allegations Made By Siovaughn Funches-Wade
The petition by Siovaughn Funches-Wade was filed Tuesday in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles as an objection to an initial petition Wade filed in August to legally change Zaya’s name.
In Funches-Wade’s recent filing, the 41-year-old claims that Wade 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.”
“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 alleged.
She also claimed that she and Wade, who split in 2007, spoke in April 2022 at one of his homes in Atlanta where he “informed me 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,” according to the documents.
“[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,” she continued.
Funches-Wade is asking the court that Zaya make the decision herself when she turns 18, or the “age of majority,” in two and a half years. She also claims that “there will likely be media pressure on the minor child” to make the change.
In 2010, Funches-Wade filed a lawsuit alleging that Wade’s relationship with Union caused her and their sons emotional distress. At the time, Wade called the filing “baseless and meritless,” according to ESPN and the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed.
Since coming out as transgender in 2020, Zaya has received unconditional support from both Wade and her stepmother, Gabrielle Union.