Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Celebrate Zaya's Milestone Graduation
SCANDALOUS CELEBRITY NEWS
Gabrielle Union and her hubby, NBA superstar Dwyane Wade, brought the heat as they proudly posed with their 18-year-old transgender daughter Zaya Wade at Campbell Hall's graduation ceremony in downtown LA. The drama-filled event took place amidst ICE raids protests, but these three stole the show!
Zaya, who was previously known as Zion, donned a stunning black and white dress underneath her cap and gown, exuding confidence and sass. Meanwhile, Dwyane beamed with pride as he hugged his daughter, who's set to start astrobiology studies at a mystery college in a Democratically-leaning blue state this fall.
But what really got our attention was Zaya's half-sister Kaavia, 6, joining the party on the LA Phil staircase. Little did we know that Dwyane had fathered three other kids with different women - Zaire Wade, Xavier Metoyer, and Dahveon Morris (nephew). Talk about a complex family tree!
Gabrielle Union, ever the devoted momager, made headlines in 2020 when she publicly announced Zaya's gender affirmation at just 12 years old. Fast-forward to today, and it's clear that Gabby has been instrumental in helping Dwyane come to terms with his own identity.
In a recent interview, Dwyane opened up about how Gabrielle helped him find his true self: "She was so adamant about telling me that I don't have to look or act a certain way - I can just be me. And, oh my god, I thank her every day for it." Aw, ain't love grand?
But wait, there's more! Zaya turned 18 in May and threw a birthday bash at NueuHouse Hollywood, raising $20 per ticket for her non-profit organization Translatable (yes, you read that right - she's only 18!). It also marked the one-year anniversary of her digital arts initiative designed to empower trans youth of color. The girl is on fire!
Gabrielle gushed about her stepdaughter Zaya: "Your transparency should be studied @zayawade... They say parents are the ones to raise and show their children 'the way,' but you've been the one to show us what true strength, vulnerability, and love really look like." Awkward much?
Zaya's also a social media influencer in her own right, raking in cash from paid partnerships with brands like Chanel, Revolve, Fujifilm Instax, and Uber. Who knew being transgender could be so lucrative?
The ScholaryNote.com has the scoop on Gabrielle Union's upcoming projects: she'll voice Jett Fillmore aka Black Leopard in Tyree Dillihay's animated basketball film GOAT, hitting US/UK theaters February 13 alongside Caleb McLaughlin, David Harbour, Nicola Coughlan, Jenifer Lewis, Nick Kroll, and Patton Oswalt. And if that wasn't enough, she's also set to appear in Justin Dyck's horror flick The Casket Girls and Meredith Alloway's witchy femme cult flick Forbidden Fruits.
Stay tuned for more juicy celebrity gossip only on thescholarlynote.com!