In 2020, while appearing on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Dwyane Wade revealed that Zaya Wade, only 12 at the time, had come out as transgender. Speaking to host Ellen DeGeneres, Dwyane recounted the moment his daughter came out, adding that he instantly supported her decision. “Once Zaya came home and said, ‘I want you to call me Zaya, and I’m ready to take on this,’ I looked at her and said, ‘You are a leader. And this is our opportunity to allow you to be a voice,'” Dwyane explained. True to his words, Wade has been nothing but a support system for his daughter — even when it meant tension with her biological mother.
In November 2022, Zaya’s mother, Siovaughn Funche, filed a petition against Dwyane, objecting to the NBA star’s previous request to legally change their daughter’s name and gender. While Funches accused Dwyane of pressuring Zaya and trying to profit off her, the NBA star fired back, insisting that it was the best decision for the then-15-year-old. “This petition is about empowering Zaya to live her truth,” Dwyane wrote in his counter-filing, per E! News. “This petition is about allowing Zaya to take on the milestones of being a young adult with confidence and joy and to ensure that those moments are not clouded by the self-doubt that comes from checking a box or signing a name that does not reflect her identity,” he continued.
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Given his commitment and unwavering support, it is no surprise that Zaya holds her father in very high regard.
