Amidst his busy schedule with business and game days, Dwyane Wade’s eldest son, Zaire, popped in to celebrate his mother’s special day. He made sure to spend time with his extended family and later posed alongside his mother, Siohvaughn Funches, for a family picture. Funches’ mother and her husband were also present in the photo. However, one member missing from the picture was Zaya Wade.

Wade’s second eldest daughter, Zaya, was not seen in the Instagram post shared by her mother. While she might have sent a more personal message, Zaya did not make it public, though she received some love from her mother.

“Lil Z, I love you baby, and I know if you could, you would be right here with us😘😘😘 You all have made my birthday beyond special,” Funches wrote for her daughter. She also had a note for her eldest son with Dwyane, who was among her loved ones celebrating her day. “To Christ be ALL THE GLORY!!! The literal loves of my life!!! My hubby, my love, my rock, and my baby Zaire…grown baby that is, whose been with me through it all,” Funches penned.

Zaire was there again to reciprocate the love as he wrote, “Love you ma !!” in the comments. Though Zaya was nowhere to be seen, the waters seemed calmer in the household after the ugly battle. It was about two years ago when Funches raised an issue with Wade legally changing the 17-year-old’s name.

She even filed a legal objection expressing concern that her ex-husband might have pressurized Zaya “to move forward with the name and gender change in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies,” as per the filing. As someone who has stayed by Zaya’s side through her public revelation, protecting her from the negativity, and going on to become one of the biggest advocates of the LGBTQ+ community, but most of all, as a father, the Miami Heat stepped up to publically deny the allegations. 

Taking to social media, the champ confirmed that no one in the family would pressure Zaya into making any decisions. In his post, he criticized how Funches has been an absent mother. Moreover, he highlighted that during their divorce, it was Wade who won sole custody of their children.

“No one in our house would force Zaya or any of our children to do anything against their will, much less force an identity on them,” Wade wrote. He further shared that he would battle tooth and nail for his daughter. And he did.

He initially filed the petition for his daughter to change her name in August 2022. And finally, in February 2023, he and his daughter won, and Zaya was granted the name and gender change. The teen was legally recognized as female and her name was changed from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade. “we want them to know there’s always unconditional love,” Wade had said to People and he seems to have stood by it. But, even before this, Wade had to get into one more tussle with her ex-wife Funches.

Dwyane Wade’s long battle, all for the sake of the children

Dwyane Wade and Siohvaughn Funches divorced in 2007. However, Wade had to engage in a lengthy custody battle of his sons Zion (Now Zaya) and Zaire. Wade gained sole custody of the two in 2011. But that did not come easy. In fact, Wade’s attorney, James Pritikin, said the custody trial “was one of the longest ever in Cook County history.”

“My life changed in a huge way. Mentally, I’ve been preparing for it for over a year now. To me, it’s bigger than that. For me, it shows a lot of people that you need to fight to be in your kids’ lives sometimes. You fight until you can’t fight any more. That’s all I was trying to be, a father in his kids’ lives,” Wade had told the AP after the ruling.

Although Wade had repeatedly said that he wanted his sons to have healthy relationships with their mother, the court had used strong words for Funches. “This court finds that [Siohvaughn Wade] has embarked on an unstoppable and relentless pattern of conduct for over two years to alienate the children from their father, and lacks either the ability or the willingness to facilitate, let alone encourage, a close and continuing relationship between them,” a portion of the court ruling had mentioned.

However, in her book ‘The True Story for God’s Glory’, Funches claimed, “I got divorced and had both my children wrongfully taken from me, I lost my home and my health, my reputation was destroyed.” Referring to the entire episode, in ‘All the Smoke podcast’ in 2019, Wade had said that he took up all the hardship to ensure the well-being of the children. “I think it was beneficial for both of us — I needed them and they needed me,” he had said. Indeed, it is a welcome sight, as Zaire enjoys some family time with his mom after all the ugliness of the past.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.