Dwyane Wade is not allowing his ex, Siohvaughn Funches, to gain ground with her latest accusations. The retired NBA player took to Instagram on Thursday (Nov. 3) to address his first wife’s claims that he is exploiting their transgender daughter.
“Since this must be the new way of parenting, I guess I have to address these allegations here, which is a damn shame,” Dwyane began his open letter. “While I’m on a life-changing trip to our motherland, Africa, 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. These are serious and harmful allegations that have hurt our children,” Wade shared.
Siohvaughn Funches accused Dwyane Wade of exploiting their transgender daughter, Zaya Wade, for financial gain. She filed a petition with the courts to block Zaya’s attempt to officially change her name and gender on legal documents.
“While none of us are surprised by Siohvaughn’s attempt to fight Zaya’s identity and her unwavering attempt to drag my name through the mud, I’m very disappointed that she continuously finds ways of centering herself and HER needs without regard to her children,” Dwyane said in his address on Thursday.
“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! She won’t do it,” the celebrity father exclaimed. “And Zaya has given her every opportunity to try to get to know her. She won’t do it,” Wade continued.
“As a woman who claims to be a ‘good Christian mother,’ I’ve 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,” Dwyane told his supporters. “Zaya is not that same 3-year-old child anymore and she’s screaming that to the world and, more importantly, to her Mother!”
In the end, Wade clarified that he is not capitalizing on his daughter’s identity. “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,” Dwyane told his social media fans. “This isn’t a game for my family and definitely not for Zaya. This is her life!”
Photo: Getty Images
