Dwyane Wade is proudly opening up about supporting his 12-year-old child, Zion Malachi Airamis.
“I watched my son, from day one, become into who she now eventually has come into,” he said on Showtime’s All the Smoke podcast Wednesday. “For me, nothing changes [in my] love. Nothing changes [in my] responsibility. Only thing I got to do now is get smarter and educate myself more,” the retired NBA legend said.
The former Miami Heat star talked about parenthood and how he’s changed as a father on the podcast.
Wade and his wife, Gabrielle Union, have been outspoken in their support of Zion on social media. In April, Union shared a photo of her and Zion at Miami Beach Pride. The photo sparked a widespread conversation about LGBTQ+ rights, with many social media users applauding the star couple for their acceptance of Zion.
But Wade and Union have also received negative comments and messages from those prejudiced or hateful toward the LGTBQ+ community.
In November, Wade responded to backlash from social media users after a Thanksgiving Day photo showed Zion dressed in a crop top with long, painted nails.
“I’ve seen some post-thanksgiving hate on social about my family photo. Stupidity is apart of this world we live in—so I get it. But here’s the thing — I’ve been chosen to lead my family not y’all. So we will continue to be us and support each other with pride, love & a smile!” Wade wrote on Twitter.
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Wade said it’s important to look into what you truly stand for before being critical of anyone else. He also mentioned his own journey in understanding.
“Me and my wife are having conversations about, you know, us noticing that, you know, [Zion] wasn’t on the boy vibe that Zaire was on. And I had to look myself in the mirror and say, ‘What if your son comes home and tell you he’s gay? What are you going to do? How are you going to be? How are you going to act?’ It ain’t about him. He knows who he is. It’s about you. Who are you?” he said.
Wade also talked about his child's bravery during the interview.
"You want to talk about strength and courage, my 12-year-old has way more than I have," he said.
Watch the full interview here.
