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Parents have a way of making their kids' dating lives just a little bit harder — and when your dad is a 6'4" NBA legend, the intimidation factor is real. Just ask Zaya Wade.
In an interview with Seventeen published Monday, February 24, the 17-year-old runway model revealed that her dad, Dwyane Wade, has a habit of scaring off romantic prospects.
"The people I've dated have all been afraid of him in the first interaction," she admitted. "He's gigantic, and he has this deep, booming voice."
But before anyone gets too nervous, Zaya assured that the 43-year-old former Miami Heat star is all bark, no bite. "The facade only lasts for so long and you actually see his real personality," she said. "He's a teddy bear."
That doesn't mean Dwyane doesn't try to play the protective dad role. Zaya joked that he "tries to scare any person I have interest in" but appreciates that both her dad and stepmom, Gabrielle Union, support her dating life. "Me and my stepmom love to dish the dirt and tap into the high school gossip," she shared. "She gets excited for me when I'm like, 'Oh, I like this person.'"
While the teen has plenty of love for her parents, there are some things she just can't get behind — like their social media habits. "Okay, with my stepmom, it's the dances she posts," she said. "She does them tastefully, but I want to text her so badly and be like, 'Girl.'"
And as for the three-time NBA champ? "My dad, at the end of the day, he is a man. He's just always going to give man and honestly, as an entire gender, they embarrass me," she jested. "So when my dad shows up to a party, and he's wearing a suit and he has no undershirt on, it's like, 'What are you doing?' And when he posts on his Instagram and he's fully shirtless, I'm like, 'No. No. No. You have children on this app.'"
Despite her dad's sometimes questionable fashion choices, Zaya appreciates the unwavering support he's shown since she came out as transgender at 12 years old. "Him being raised in a traditional Black household in Chicago...the culture there isn't very queer-friendly," she explained. "I hope that it will continue to inspire people to allow themselves to learn and understand queerness before bashing it."
And while she's focused on finishing high school and figuring out her next steps, she knows one thing for sure: "I'm entering a new era this year. An era of so much more confidence in myself and in my body. I have big plans for myself, most importantly. And also my community. I hope I inspire plenty of young girls out there."
In addition to Zaya, Dwyane is dad to son Zaire, 23, with ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches, and son Xavier, 11, with ex Aja Metoyer. He also shares daughter Kaavia, 6, with Union, 52, and is the legal guardian of his nephew, Dahveon Morris, 21.
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