Dwyane Wade and ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade in legal battle over transgender teen daughter Zaya's name and gender change: "This isn’t a game for my family and definitely not for Zaya!"

Dwyane Wade and his ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade aren't on great terms. The former basketball superstar married his high school girlfriend in 2002, just a year before he entered the league.

The couple split in 2007 and divorced in 2010. The three-time NBA champion was granted sole custody of their children, but it appears that Siohvaughn has a problem with how the former basketball star treats his children.

Dwyane Wade's ex-wife accused him of exploiting their teenage daughter for his financial gain. The former Finals MVP wasn't happy about the accusations and posted a strong message on Instagram.

"This isn't a game for my family and definitely not for Zaya," Wade posted on his Instagram. "This is her life!"

Not only did Siohvaughn accuse Dwyane of exploiting their daughter, but she also wants a court to intervene in Zaya's transition and the change of her name.

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Dwyane Wade accused by ex-wife of exploiting his teenage transgender daugher, Zaya Wade

Zaya Wade was born in May 2007, shortly before Dwyane and Siohvaughn split. She was the second child of the Wade family and was originally named Zion. However, Zion came out as a transgender woman in 2019, deciding to change the name to Zaya.

Siohvaughn wasn't happy about this. She recently filed a case accusing her ex-husband of exploiting their child. Siohvaughn also made a request to block the name and gender change.

Dwyane Wade has two children with his ex-wife.

Zaya's mother was scared that her daughter was being pressured into transitioning. Considering that the teenager has already signed modeling contracts and has gained thousands of followers over social media, Siohvaughn believes that Dwyane Wade will profit off the transition.

"I have concerns that (Dwyane) may be pressuring our child to move forward with the name and gender change," said Siohvaughn Funches in legal documents. "In order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies."

This came in response to a court petition Dwyane Wade signed in August 2022. With the petition, the basketball legend asked his daughter to legally change her name to Zaya.

When he filed the petition, Dwyane notified his ex-wife of it as a courtesy. However, Siohvaughn responded a few months later.

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Dwyane Wade's response

Dwyane wasn't too happy about his ex-wife's accusations. The basketball star, who is currently in Ghana, Africa, posted a lengthy response to Siohvaughn Funches regarding the latest controversy.

Wade stated that he wasn't surprised by these accusations, but that he's disappointed that his ex-wife keeps putting herself in the spotlight without thinking about her children.

The Instagram post revealed that Dwyane Wade's ex-wife tried to do the same thing over a decade ago, yet he was granted sole custody. Instead of being a mother to her children, Siohvaughn instead focused on lawyers and legal battles.

Wade is disappointed with the behavior of his ex-wife.

"Siohvaughn has decided to pretty much be an absent parent to Zaya all on her own," Wade's Instagram post read. "I've yet to see her make any sacrifice or effort to leave her own home to participate in her children's lives."

The former Miami Heat guard said that his lawyer will be in contact with Siohvaughn's lawyer. According to the future Hall of Famer, this is the 14th lawyer his wife has hired.

Considering everything that's happened between Dwyane and Siohvaughn, it is very unlikely that she will stop dragging his name through the mud anytime soon.