Dwyane Wade's trans daughter makes runway debut just weeks after legally changing name and gender
Dwyane Wade has taken to social media in support of his daughter making her catwalk debut
Poppy Bilderbeck
Dwyane Wade has taken to social media in support of his daughter making her catwalk debut.
The former NBA basketball player and his partner, actor Gabrielle Union, took to the sidelines of the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week to cheer on Wade's daughter Zaya.
Just weeks after legally finalising her transition - updating her gender and name on identification documentation - Zaya hit the runway walking for clothing brand Miu Miu, her father sharing multiple videos and pictures overflowing with pride to his Instagram account.
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Wade's 15-year-old daughter came out as transgender at the age of 12 and since 2020, has been called Zaya.
As per a ruling filed on Friday 24 February in Los Angeles, Zaya's official name is Zaya Malachi Airamis Wade.
Zaya's catwalk debut was a big moment for the 15-year-old, as well as for her father, who took to social media to share his daughter's achievement.
A friend named Thomas Christos also uploaded a video which states Wade and Union 'cried' seeing Zaya strut her stuff.
Sharing a video to his story by Vogue Magazine, Wade commented: "I'm not crying, you are," before sharing multiple other pictures and videos of Zaya from the event.
The father also uploaded a video post with the caption simply stating: "She's arrived."
Zaya received an outpouring of praise on social media for her catwalk debut.
Actor Viola Davis, best known for her iconic role as Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder and for starring in The Woman King, commented on Wade's Instagram post: "Perfect!!! Beautiful."
Supermodel Gigi Hadid also commented on the post with a series of crown and lovestruck emojis.
Last month, Wade addressed his daughter at the 54th Annual NAACP awards when he and Union accepted the President's Award for their support of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Wade said: "Zaya, as your father, all I've wanted to do is get it right. I have sat back and watched how graceful you have taken on the public scrutiny and even though it's not easy, I watched you walk out of the house every morning as yourself.
"I admire how you have handled the ignorance in our world. I admire that you face it every day. To say that your village is proud of you is an understatement.
"Thank you for showing me that there is more than just one way to communicate effectively. You taught me that communication with my mouth isn't enough."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence contact Mindline Trans+ on 0300 330 5468. The line is open 8pm–midnight Mondays and Fridays and is run by trans volunteers