Dwyane Wade’s ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches-Wade, claimed he’s been pressuring their daughter, Zaya Wade, to transition for financial gain.
On Nov. 2, court documents revealed that Siohvaughn objected to the NBA Hall Of Famer’s petition to legally change their 15-year-old’s name due to “multiple factors,” the Blast reported. In it, the concerned mom accused Dwyane of exploiting Zaya for money and asked a judge to postpone her sex change until she’s 18.
“I have concerns that (Dwyane) may be pressuring our child to move forward with the name and gender change to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies,” she said in the filing. The filing was in response to an August petition in which Dwayne asked permission for Zaya to legally change her name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade.
Siohvaughn continued, “This matter has been highly reported in the media, and there will likely be media pressure on the minor child.”
Celebrity attorney Mark Gross, who’s been representing Siohvaughn, confirmed her sentiment, saying Dwyane is “positioned to profit from the minor child’s name.”
“There are multiple factors to be considered by the Court in determining the requests to change the minor child’s name and gender. The minor child is fifteen and one-half years old,” Mark said, noting that Dwyane “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.”
Zaya initially came out as transgender in 2020 at the tender age of 12. During a conversation in April, her mother said that Dwayne claimed 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.” She also said he “intended to make our child very famous due to the name and gender issue and informed me that there would be endorsements/contracts associated therewith.”
Siohvaughn and Dwayne reportedly have a hearing scheduled for December, which will ultimately determine if their daughter’s name and gender can be changed without her permission.
