Dwyane Wade Files Court Petition to Permit Transgender Daughter's Zaya Name Change

Dwyane Wade is helping his transgender daughter to change her legal name.

The retired NBA star, 40, filed a petition on Aug. 22 asking that his 15-year-old daughter be allowed to change her name from Zion Malachi Airamis Wade to Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade, according to documents made available online Friday by the Los Angeles Superior Court.

The documents state that Wade has the full authority to make decisions on his daughter’s behalf and that he notified the teen's mother and his ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches, of his petition "as a courtesy."

Wade and actress Gabrielle Union married in August 2014 and welcomed a daughter, Kaavia, 3, in November 2018.

Wade is also dad to a son, Xavier, 8, with ex-girlfriend Aja Metoyer, and an older son, pro basketball player Zaire Wade, 20, from his relationship with Funches.

Wade recalled his daughter Zaya coming out as transgender during a 2020 guest appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

"Our (then) 12-year-old came home ... and said, "Hey, 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 and I would love for you guys to call me Zaya," Wade said at the time.

He added, "We’re just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self."

In June, the protective father slammed the rise of anti-trans legislation in states across the U.S. and revealed he was "afraid" for Zaya's safety while speaking to CNN’s Poppy Harlow at the Time 100 Summit.

"This is our life. We live this and so when you’re out there making rules, and if you’re not experiencing this and you’re not living this and you’re just out there signing away and making laws, that’s not right. That’s a joke," said Wade.

"Come and live a day in my world with my daughter," he added. "Come and see how it is to walk through this world as her."

The 13-time NBA All-Star went on to say that anti-trans laws demonstrate a lack of empathy.

“We’re losing the human side of us," he said. "And as sad as it is, as blessed as my daughter is to have parents who can support her, I’m still afraid every moment she leaves the house. And not just because of gun violence, but because of the way that people perceive her in this world."

Despite that fear, Wade told TODAY at the Time 100 Gala's red carpet event the he and Union try to support and encourage all their kids to be their "real selves."

“I think we have to continue to grow as parents and understand that our kids’ lives are not just about us,” said the athlete. “We didn’t have them to be a mini version of us. They’re going to become who they are in this world, and it’s our job to find that out.”

He later added, “We don’t have to understand everything as parents, but if we lead with love and then we go and find the information, we go out and make sure that our kids have a life that we worked hard for."