Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union’s Daughter Zaya Is Officially Granted Legal Name Change

Congratulations are in order for Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union's family, because their daughter, Zaya, 15, was just legally granted a name change and assignment of gender at a Los Angeles Superior Court, as reported by People and Us Weekly.

The teen has gone by the name Zaya since 2020, when she publicly came out as transgender. But now, it has been made official that her name is Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade, and she's been approved to have the markers for her sex changed on legal documents to match her gender identity.

Zaya is one of two children that Wade shares with his ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches (the other being son Zaire, 21). Wade also has a son named Xavier, 9, with his ex, Aja Metoyer. Union became a stepmother to all three children when she and Wade wed in 2014. Then, the pair welcomed their own daughter, Kaavia, 4, in 2018.

Wade first revealed that Zaya was transgender during a visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2020. The professional basketball player told the host, “First of all, me and my wife, Gabrielle Union, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community, and we’re proud allies as well.” He then revealed that Zaya had come up to him and Union and told them: “Hey, so I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward, I’m ready to live my truth. And I want to be referenced as she and her. I would love for you guys to call me Zaya.”

Since then, the couple have shown loving support for the now 15-year-old, and this was demonstrated again at the NAACP Image Awards on Feb. 25, where Union and Wade were honored with the President's Award.

During their speech, the couple took the opportunity to show how proud they are of Zaya, with Wade saying, “Zaya, as your father, all I’ve wanted to do was get it right. I’ve sat back and watched how gracefully you have taken on the public scrutiny. And even though it’s not easy, I watched you walk out of that house every morning as yourself. I admire how you handle the ignorance in our world…that you face every day. To say that your village is proud of you is an understatement.”

We couldn't love this family more. Congrats, Zaya!

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