Dwyane Wade, Wife Gabrielle Union Tour Colleges With His Daughter Zaya

Dwyane Wade was all smiles as he and his wife, Gabrielle Union, took his daughter Zaya to tour colleges.

“We’re in the College Visits season!!!” Wade, 42, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, March 23, alongside a carousel of photos and clips from their trip.

In one snap, Wade and Zaya, 16, looked back at the camera as they stood next to each other with an umbrella overhead. In another video, Zaya and Union, 51, walked side by side down a brick path with a tree canopy above them.

Wade shares Zaya, as well as 22-year-old son Zaire, with ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches. He’s also a father to son Xavier, whom he welcomed in 2013 with ex Aja Metoyer. Wade and Union share daughter Kaavia James, who was born in 2018.

Dwyane Wade's Strong Bond With Transgender Daughter Zaya Through the Years

‘Wade has seemingly had a strong bond with Zaya through the years. The NBA champion has been outspoken about his support for his daughter after she came out as transgender.

“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 shared during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in February 2020. “We take our roles and our responsibilities as parents very seriously.”

Wade noted that he and Union wanted to give Zaya “the best opportunity to be her best self.” He recalled a conversation he’d previously had, saying, “I said, ‘You are a leader. You are a leader, and this is an opportunity to allow you to be a voice.’ Right now it’s through us because she’s 12 years old, but eventually, it will be through her.”

Nearly two years later, Wade’s relationship with Funches, 42, made headlines when she filed a petition to reject Zaya from legally changing her name and gender. In the filing obtained by Us Weekly, Funches claimed that Wade was “positioned to profit” from Zaya’s legal request.

Dwyane Wade's Family Guide: Meet His Children and Their Mothers

Wade, for his part, slammed Funches in a post via Instagram.

“While none of us are surprised by Siohvaughn’s attempt to fight Zaya’s identity and her unwavering attempt to drag my name through the mud, I’m very disappointed that she continuously find ways of centering herself and HER needs, without regard to her children,” he wrote. “All I ever wanted was to have my parenting time uninterrupted, as I knew that it would be a very difficult time for our kids to navigate their new normal.”

He continued, “So instead of actually trying to coparent over the years, she’s left her home to see more lawyers and has taken the time to talk to more lawyers since I filed for divorce, than she’s left her home to actually see or have truly spoken and LISTENED to Zaya over all these years.”

In February 2023, Us confirmed that a judge approved Zaya’s request to legally change her name and gender.