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Social media influencer Zaya Wade says potential partners are “afraid” to meet dad Dwyane Wade.
“The people I’ve dated have all been afraid of him in the first interaction,” Zaya, 17, told Seventeen magazine in an interview published Monday, February 24.
Zaya said Dwyane can be intimidating. “He’s gigantic and he has this deep, booming voice.”
Wade has previously expressed concern about the number of partners Zaya has dated. But Zaya said his scary “facade only lasts so long and you actually see his real personality.”
The retired NBA star, 43, shares Zaya, as well as 23-year-old son Zaire, with ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches. He’s also a father to son Xavier by his ex Aja Metoyer. Wade and wife Gabrielle Union share daughter Kaavia James, 6.
Zaya is trying to focus on studies in high school, but it’s difficult to dive into the dating pool and stay focused on schoolwork.
Fortunately, Dwyane and Union, 52, are “really cool about it,” Zaya said.
“Me and my stepmom love to dish the dirt and tap into the high school gossip,” Zaya added. “She gets excited for me when I’m like, ‘Oh, I like this person.’”
But Dwyane “tries to scare any person I have interest in,” says Zaya, who appreciates that Dwyane and Gabrielle want to meet every boyfriend.
“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,” Zaya joked. “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.’”
All in all, Zaya is grateful for Dwyane and Gabrielle’s support.
“Honestly, him being raised in a traditional Black household in Chicago… the culture there isn’t very queer-friendly,” Zaya said. “I hope that it will continue to inspire people to allow themselves to learn and understand queerness before bashing it.”
