“It was hard to break my stereotype of you even”: Dwyane Wade’s daughter, Zaya, details struggles opening up about trans experience

Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade invited his daughter, Zaya Wade, on his podcast “Time Out.” She was featured on the show on Thursday, which was also her 18th birthday. Having come out publicly at the age of 12, Wade’s daughter has had to navigate much hatred on social media.

Dwyane Wade showed support for his daughter, appreciating her for not letting the “talking heads of the world” drag her down. Despite her family’s support, navigating life as a transwoman was difficult for Zaya Wade. She opened up about her struggles on the podcast:

“It’s hard. And there’s a bit of like a almost like a cultural barrier sometimes to like to talk to black people about that kind of stuff, especially queer stuff. Man, they do not be liking us.” [23:00]

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"I think it was hard to to break through like my, my stereotype of you even, you know, I think people think it's like you trying to understand what being trans is like, but it was like me trying to understand what what you were like."

Six years down the line, it's clear to see that Dwyane Wade has done a stellar job of understanding and accepting his daughter. The journey hasn't been easy for the NBA legend either, as the situation has also led to him being subjected to criticism on social media, often by the same "talking heads" who criticized his daughter.

"He tries to scare any person": Zaya Wade accuses her dad, Dwyane Wade, of trying to scare potential partners

Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade isn't too different from other fathers, as shared by his daughter Zaya.

Wade's daughter, in an interview with Seventeen in February, revealed how Wade often tries to scare anyone she's interested in:

"My dad ... he tries to scare any person I have interest in. He's kind of intimidating. The people I've dated have all been afraid of him in the first interaction. He's gigantic and has this deep, booming voice."

However, Zaya Wade admitted that her father is just putting on a facade, like most dads do. She admitted that once the facade wears off, her father's real personality emerges, one she feels is comparable to that of a teddy bear.

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About the author

Sameer Khan

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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