*Dwyane Wade’s transgender daughter, Zaya, filed a petition in court to change her name and gender. While Wade, a former Miami Heat basketball star, is fully behind his daughter in this transition journey, his ex-wife, Siohvaughn Wade, has come out guns blazing to oppose the petition.
According to Siohvaughn, the reason DWade supports his daughter’s name and gender change is because he hopes to profit from her transgender transition. But in the new court documents filed on November 28th, Wade has called his ex-wife’s allegations “nonsensical” and said she is only trying to re-litigate their divorce or launching a “campaign of personal attacks.”
The father further clarified that the original petition to change Zaya’s name and gender was filed at her request.
“This petition is not about Siohvaughn or Dwyane or their prior marriage, it is about what Zaya wants and what is in her best interest. This petition is about empowering Zaya to live her truth. This petition is about allowing Zaya to take on the milestones of being a young adult with confidence and joy,” the 40-year-old father-of-four stated in the court documents.
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Wade also added that as Zaya grows into a young adult, she need not be “clouded by the self-doubt that comes from checking a box or signing a name that does not reflect her identity.”
He, therefore, asks for a court order to affirm his daughter’s identity, so that she will be able to “live more comfortably and honestly in all aspects of her life, from simple introductions and food orders, to applying for a driver’s license and filling out college applications.”
Turning again to his ex-wife’s sentiments, he said, “While it certainly would have been preferable for Zaya’s mother to be supportive of this important part of Zaya’s journey, Zaya should not be forced to put her life on hold while she waits for Siohvaughn to acknowledge and accept her truth.”
But Siohvaughn sees things differently. She has stated in the court papers that her ex-husband breached their custody agreement when he failed to discuss the name change with her. Siohvaughn also accuses Dwyane of “pressuring” their child to file the name-and-change petition so that he can benefit from the financial opportunities that come with it.
Siohvaughn wants the court to ban Zaya, 15, from legally changing her gender from male to female until she gets to 18.
But Wade dismissed Siohvaughn’s allegations as “nonsensical” and “libelous at their core.” In the court documents, he countered that Siohvaughn’s allegations are libelous at their core, and are, at best, nonsensical.
“Dwyane filed this Petition because Zaya asked him to,” he added. “It is unclear if Siohvaughn’s goal is to relitigate her divorce and custody dispute with Dwyane, or to resume her campaign of personal attacks against Dwyane, but it is clear that her objections have little, if anything, to do with Zaya’s best interest.”
Dwyane was vacationing in Africa earlier in November for the 50th birthday of his wife, Gabrielle Union, when he heard about his ex-wife’s “harmful allegations” posted on social media. He likewise responded in kind, taking to Instagram.
“Since this must be the new way of parenting, I guess I have to address these allegations here, which is a damn shame,” he wrote. “While I’m on a life-changing trip in our motherland, Africa, I’ve received a social media post about me forcing our 15-year-old child to be someone she’s not and to do something against her will. These are serious and harmful allegations that have hurt our children. While none of us are surprised by Siohvaughn’s attempt to fight Zaya’s identity and her unwavering attempt to drag my name through the mud, I’m very disappointed that she continuously find ways of centering herself and HER needs, without regard to her children. This report came out while Zaya was in class. This is a kid who has maintained a 4.0 GPA in honors classes while navigating all this unsolicited and harmful attention and debates about her gender and sexuality from those who are committed to not listening to her, much less even knowing her.”
The ex-NBA star pointed out that his ex-wife played similar tactics several years ago as they battled in court for custody of their two kids. Dwyane and Siohvaughn went their separate ways in 2007. The divorce took effect in 2010. DWade won the battle and was awarded sole custody of their children, Zaire, 20, and Zaya, 15.
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