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Zaya Wade is only 15, yet she's one of the most popular members of the transgender community. The teenager is the daughter of Dwyane Wade, a basketball legend, and Siohvaughn Funches.
Dwyane Wade's daughter has gotten a lot of media attention in the past few years. Zaya lives with her dad and her stepmother, Gabrielle Union, so it's not surprising that she's always been under the spotlight.
Zaya's transition made her even more popular. Unfortunately, she's also dealt with a lot of negativity once she came out as transgender in 2019. This article will take a deeper look at the life of Zaya Wade and reveal everything you need to know about her.
Zaya Wade transitioned when she was 12
Zaya Wade was born on May 29, 2007, shortly before her parents separated. She was originally named Zion, but eventually came out as a transgender woman. Fortunately for her, Dwyane Wade accepted her the way she was.
Both Dwyane and Gabrielle supported Zaya and did their best to learn as much as possible and help their child. At the age of 8, Zaya told her family she was gay. However, her family kept this a secret, fearing a reaction from the public.
"When you're in the public eye, it gets nasty," Dwyane Wade admitted in his conversation with Oprah Winfrey. "My child was 8 years old when she came out. She wasn't ready for what the world had to say."
Four years later, when Zaya was 12, she realized she wasn't gay. She finally found herself and realized that she was a transgender woman. The teenager also wanted to use she/her pronouns and change her name to Zaya.
Dwyane Wade's daughter received a lot of support from all around the world. Unfortunately, she's also had to deal with a lot of negative and hurtful comments from transphobic people.
Thankfully, Zaya Wade seems to be doing fine. She's had several modeling contracts and has become a prominent figure on social media as well.
Dwyane Wade was accused for using Zaya by his ex-wife
Siohvaughn Funches, Dwyane Wade's ex-wife, wasn't too happy about Zaya Wade's transition. In August 2022, the basketball legend filed a petition to legally change his daughter's name to Zaya.
Dwyane notified his ex-wife as a courtesy, hoping that she'd be supportive. Unfortunately, Siohvaughn accused the basketball star of exploiting their daughter for financial gains.
Dwyane Wade was granted sole custody of his two children with Siohvaughn Funches. However, his ex-wife has done her best to drag his name through the mud as she attempted to sue him for over a decade.
The basketball star took to his Instagram to clear his name and say that Zaya's life is not a game. He also revealed that his ex-wife has been an absent parent and did not do much to get closer to her kids.
