Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union are always on the receiving end of discourse surrounding their daughter Zaya Wade. The superstar couple has emerged as strong advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community through their support of Zaya. Most recently, the family announced the decision to officially change Zaya’s birth name and gender to match how she identifies. The choice received its fair share of blowback from those thinking Zaya was too young to make a permanent decision. This was also a thought shared by her birth mother, Siohvaughn Funches, who many feel has been completely left out of the discussion. Television personality Funky Dineva believes Gabrielle Union is not a real mother if she is letting Siohvaughn be left out of such a life-making decision for Zaya.
Siohvaughn and Dwyane Wade split years ago, following him becoming a basketball star. At the time, he argued that Siohvaughn had become emotionally unstable and was having mental health issues. He was eventually granted full custody of their kids and remarried with Gabrielle Union. When it was announced that Zaya would be making her transition legal, it was also reported that Wade and Union “informed” Siohvaughn as a courtesy but did not require her blessing due to the terms of their custody arrangement.
Funky Dineva believes that this is a low blow to Siohvaughn as a mother and argues that if Gabrielle Union were a better person, she would not allow Funches to be excluded from the conversation so publicly. He argues that Union is terrible and believes if the shoe were on the other foot, she would be livid, as she’s shown in the past with her behavior towards Wade’s child out of wedlock, Xavier Zechariah Wade.
“That word ‘notified’ triggered me. Gabrielle Union, you ain’t s***. As a woman and as a mother, it should be your job to advocate that Dwyane is as active with that other woman and that child.” He also believes Union is more obsessed with Zaya being trans than the child’s actually well being. People seem to agree and think it’s not fair that Funches is being left out of Zaya’s life-changing choice, especially since Funches has already made it clear she does not agree with Zaya’s legal transition and has already petitioned the court to pause it.
Gabrielle Union has yet to reply to Funky Dineva’s criticism. No word if Funches will have a say in the final decision.
