Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union have shared photos of their daughter, Zaya, prior to her winter formal. The 15-year-old rocked a sparkling white gown for the high school dance.
“Supporting each other for life’s big moments is key. All the nerves, all the anxiety, all the fear… With loved ones by your side, no matter the challenge, we 10 toes down. Always,” Union, who is Zaya’s stepmother, captioned the family’s post.
As for Zaya’s birth mother, Siohvaughn Funches-Wade, she’s been locked in a legal battle with the family for months. Funches-Wade claims that Wade forced their daughter to undergo gender reassignment surgery for financial gain.
Wade previously responded to the accusations in an Instagram post, back in November.
“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, before adding, “While I’m on a life-changing trip in our motherland, Africa, I’ve received a social media post about me forcing out 15 year old child to be someone she’s not and to do something against her will. There are serious and harmful allegations that have hurt our children.”
Appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show back in 2020, Wade discussed his support for his daughter’s gender identity as well as being an ally to the LBGTQ+ community.
“We take our roles and our responsibility as parents very seriously,” Wade said at the time. “When a child comes home with a question, when a child comes home with an issue, when a child comes home with anything, it’s our job as parents to listen to that, to give them the best information that we can, the best feedback that we can — and that doesn’t change because sexuality’s now involved in it.”
Check out Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union’s post for Zaya below.