DWYANE WADE (41) and his wife, GABRIELLE UNION (50), accepted the President's Award at the 2023 NAACP Image Awards in recognition of their "achievements in public service."
In his acceptance speech, the former pro basketball star thanked his 15-year-old trans child ZAYA for: "showing the world what courage looks like. I'm proud that I was chosen to stand in place as your father."
He went on to say: "As your father, all I've wanted to do is get it right."
Wade is being celebrated by media outlets like Glamour and Vogue and other organizations controlled by white liberals, like the NAACP, but millions of everyday Americans believe he has failed to get it right as Zaya's father.
His ex-wife, SIOVAUGHN FUNCHES-WADE (41), accused the 3-time NBA champion of trying to profit off Zaya, and fought in court to prevent the child from transitioning until age 18.
Funches-Wade had concerns that Dwyane may have been "pressuring [their child] to move forward with the name and gender change in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies."
In 2015, Wade began making plans for his post-NBA career, but there was no broadcast job waiting for him and he has never been a hugely successful celebrity endorser.
In 2012, he was dropped by Jordan Brand after his "Fly Wade" sneakers flopped at retail. Since then, he has promoted several obscure, ultra-luxury brands with varying degrees of success, like Hubolt watches, Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning, and Stance socks, which laid off much of its staff in 2020.
In May of 2022, Wade began selling his own collection of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in partnership with Budweiser Zero, but the cryptocurrency market crashed six months later and NBA stars, like PAUL PIERCE (45), STEPH CURRY (34) and Wade's old teammate, SHAQUILLE O'NEAL (50), ended up being sued for unlawful promotion of failed crypto currencies, like Emax and FTX.
As for his wife, Gabrielle Union was fired after just one season as a judge on America's Got Talent (NBC), then her cop series, L.A.'s Finest (Spectrum) with JESSICA ALBA, was canceled after two seasons. In 2022, she was featured in the poorly-rated, pro-LGBT black family cartoon The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney), which also features the voice of MAGIC JOHNSON's (63) flamboyant gay son EJ (30).
So, while there are always three sides to a story (Wade's side, his ex-wife's side and the truth), it is factual to say that Wade and Union have benefited professionally from the controversy surrounding Zaya's gender. It is also interesting to note that Zaya came out as trans one month after Dwyane was named the new "Chief Culture Officer" for the sports division of powerhouse talent agency CAA Sports. Wade's job is to "help marketers connect with diverse audiences."
since his playing days in Miami."
On Friday, a Los Angeles court legally changed the minor’s name to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade and recognized the transition, so the new gender identity can be reflected on official documents.
Funches-Wade has been raising concerns about Zaya's well-being and Gabrielle Union's inappropriate behavior around her children for more than a decade.
In 2010, Siohvaughn Wade filed a lawsuit that accused Union of engaging "in sexual foreplay with Dwyane Wade' in front of Wade's 8-year-old and 2-year-old sons while on an unsupervised visitation to the basketball star's Miami home."
It was alleged that Wade's oldest son ZAIRE WADE (21) told a court-appointed child representative to "put his father in jail" because he didn't want to return to "the house where the woman kissing daddy lives." It also alleged that Union was introduced to the children by Wade as the reason "why your mom and I are going to divorce."
Dwyane Wade grew up on the South Side of Chicago surrounded by hunger, gangs, violence and sexual abuse. In 1994, his mother, JOLINDA WADE, was arrested for possession of crack cocaine with the intent to sell. Dwyane was just eight years old when his mother was sent to prison. Wade's older sister, TRAGIL WADE, was sexually abused as a child and sex trafficked by a family member, but says she protected her younger brother.
Unfortunately, Dwyane has failed to protect Zaya.
SOURCES
Dwyane Wade Thanks Daughter Zaya Wade ‘For Showing the World What Courage Looks Like’
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/dwyane-wade-thanks...
Dwyane Wade's Daughter Zaya Legally Changes Name, Court Recognizes Her Transition
https://jezebel.com/dwyane-wades-daughter-zaya-leg...
Divorce Lawsuit: Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Accused of Engaging in Sexual Foreplay In Front of Children
https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/divorce-lawsuit...
Tragil Wade Sister of NBA’s Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Sex Trafficked to Save Her Family
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1782426/9304049
NBA legend Dwyane Wade likes to take risks in business, and now he’s getting into NFTs
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/14/dwyane-wade-likes-...
Dwyane Wade’s Entry Into $845 Billion Industry In Question Following Shaquille O’Neal’s $32 Billion Endorsement Mistake
https://thesportsrush.com/nba-news-dwyane-wade-ent...
Dwyane Wade and Jordan Brand Likely to Go Their Separate Ways
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1301806-dwyane...
Post-NBA, Dwyane Wade Begins His Marketing Era as Chief Culture Officer for CAA Sports