Dwyane Wade’s Daughter, 15, Legally Changes Her Name and Gender, and Her Dad’s Reaction Is Truly Decent

Dwyane Wade is not only a basketball superstar who’s already made history. He’s also a doting dad trying to raise his kids without harming their personalities. Recently, Wade faced a parenting challenge with his daughter, Zaya Wade, who has officially changed her name and gender. Let’s look at how Wade handled the news and the transition and what parenting lessons he’s got to teach us.

Zaya Wade’s journey has always been publicly supported by her dad.

Dwyane Wade’s 15-year-old transgender daughter, Zaya Wade, received an official name and gender change in 2023. The moment the judge signed off on the new legal identity for the teenager became a huge milestone for the whole family.

Earlier, Wade filed a petition supporting his daughter’s decision. The legal documents that the father submitted stated that Zaya Wade’s previous name was Zion Malachi Airamis Wade, and the gender listed on her birth certificate was male.

Wade has always fostered a loving and supportive environment for his daughter, who came out as trans in 2020, and since then, he’s continued with the same approach to parenting.

The loving dad was not the only one to support his daughter.

Wade’s journey as a transgender person has been understood not only by her dad but also by her stepmother, Gabrielle Union. However, her biological mother, Siohvaughn Funches-Wade, has been critical of the situation and accused Wade of trying to “profit” from their daughter’s outreach toward a name and gender change.

Wade and Union faced this accusation with dignity and insist that the girl’s mom should’ve used “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.”

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union do their best to make Zaya Wade’s journey less painful.

Wade’s desire to protect his daughter from possible negativity has recently been one of his life motives. The caring father has even restricted comments on Zaya Wade’s Instagram page to defend her from trolls leaving negative comments.

He said, “For Zaya’s mental health and privacy, we’ve decided not to allow the hate into her comments. Thank you for wanting to spread and show her love.”

Fans reacted quickly to such a decision with a positive opinion. One wrote, “And that’s on prioritizing your child’s well-being. She doesn’t need our comments telling us she is nonstop serving in every posted photo bc she has a solid, real support system at home, and we love to see it!”

Another tweeted, “LOVE this protection for baby girl. I hope she knows she has a whole online community of support from a lot of us on here regardless.”