The former NBA star continues to support his daughter
Dwyane Wade spent some time in court this week, but not the basketball kind. The husband to Gabrielle Union and dad to Zaya was filing paperwork to officially change his daughter’s name.
Wade filed paperwork in the Los Angeles Superior Court to change his daughter’s name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade, according to MSN. Per the paperwork, he has full authority to request the change and has notified his ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches, of the action being taken.
Zaya Wade, 15, came out as transgender three years ago to her dad and stepmom, Gabrielle Union. Since then, her parents have been nothing but supportive and have even become LGBTQ advocates.
Dwyane and Gabrielle share Kaavia James, 3, and are raising Zaya and Zaire from Wade’s previous marriage, as well as his son Xavier and his nephew Dahveon.
On parenting a transgender child, Wade’s love has never wavered. “I say the moment when you’re in the hospital and you grabbed your daughter, and you looked at your daughter and all the things that went through your mind, all the emotions that went through your mind and how much love filled your heart at that moment,” he tells a reported at the Met Gala. “Don’t let that ever leave you, no matter what… Our kids are going to be who they are. It’s our job to help mold them and help try to push them in the right places that they want to go.”
Wade first shared about Zaya on Ellen. “We’re just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self,” he tells the talkshow host.
He’s also talked about how her admires her strength and authenticity. In his documentary, D. Wade: Life Unexpected, he shares “My daughter, at eight years old, had the confidence to say ‘This is who I am. This is who I want to be.’”
Now her name will reflect exactly who she is, too.
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