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Bitter feelings between former NBA star Dwyane Wade and ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches-Wade have flared up again, with their transgender daughter in the middle of the furor.
Dwyane and his current wife, actress Gabrielle Union, have been supportive of Zaya, 15, since she came out as transgender when she was 12. But there have been renewed tensions with Siohvaughn since Zaya decided she wanted to legally change her name and gender.
Her mother has filed a petition in court to stop this from happening, and Dwyane has hit out at his former wife on Instagram as battle lines are drawn again between the feuding exes.
It hasn't always been like this, though. The two were teenage sweethearts, but since their relationship collapsed, they have often been seen warring in public.
Here's how we got to the latest bout between the pair.
Young Love in High School
Dwyane and Siohvaughn met while attending Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, their Illinois hometown.
Dwyane had a troubled home life and went to live with his father while cutting his mother out of his life for several years.
The teenage basketball star eventually left home and moved in with Siohvaughn and her family. At that point, their relationship became more permanent.
Marriage and Family
While he was still at college and playing basketball at Marquette University in Wisconsin, Dwyane and Siohvaughn got married in 2002, after they had welcomed their first son, Zaire.
The following year, Dwyane became a professional basketball player after the 2003 draft, in which he was the Miami Heat's fifth pick overall.
As Dwyane traveled around the country playing with the Heat, Siohvaughn's main focus was their family, especially after they welcomed a second son.
The couple were often seen at red carpet events, but the pressures of playing for the NBA and the fame that gave to Dwyane led to their marriage ending.
Divorce and Allegations
With the marriage becoming irreparable and divorce a certainty in 2007, the relationship between the two turned nasty. Siohvaughn made allegations that Dwyane was a serial cheater and verbally and physically abusive.
She also alleged that the NBA star had left her with no money and that the family had been left destitute.
Dwyane hit back, saying that Siohvaughn had become mentally unstable and had used up her money.
Homelessness and Custody
The divorce became extremely contentious, with Dwyane suing Siohvaughn for defamation and his ex-wife undergoing a mental health evaluation.
She publicly said that she was living on the streets, and in 2011 Dwyane was awarded sole physical and legal custody of their children.
Enter Gabrielle Union
There were more strains in the divorce battle when Dwyane started dating actress Gabrielle Union soon after splitting from Siohvaughn.
A divorce settlement was eventually agreed to in 2013, with Dwyane's attorney saying at the time: "Dwyane Wade has maintained over the years financial support to his ex-wife by providing her with income over $25,000 on a monthly basis, timely paid for her home mortgage, maintenance and security at the house, four cars, insurance, taxes and all of her attorney fees throughout this process."
Siohvaughn was awarded a settlement of $5 million, as well as their marital home in Chicago and four cars.
After the bitterness of the divorce, they both signed a "non-disparage" agreement, which meant they could no longer degrade each other in public.
Daughter Comes Out as Transgender
In 2016, Dwyane said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that Zaya, his 12-year-old daughter, had come out as transgender, informing him and Union.
He told DeGeneres, "Me and my wife, Gabrielle Union, are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community.
"And we are proud allies as well," he continued. "We take our roles and our responsibility as parents very seriously. So when our child comes home with a question, when a child comes home with an issue, when a child comes home with anything, it's our job as parents to listen to that, to give them the best information that we can, to give them the best feedback that we can. And that doesn't change because sexuality is now involved in it."
Feuding Explodes Again
In August, Dwyane filed a court petition to legally change Zaya's name and gender. The filing said he had full authority to make decisions on Zaya's behalf without requiring consent from her mother.
In response, Siohvaughn filed a court order to prevent Zaya from legally changing her name and gender. She also hit out at Dwyane, saying that he was looking to "profit" from the name and gender change.
"[Wade] is positioned to profit from the minor child's name and gender change with various companies through contacts and marketing opportunities, including but not limited to deals with Disney," she said.
"I have concerns that [Dwyane] may be pressuring our child to move forward with the name and gender change in order to capitalize on the financial opportunities that he has received from companies," Siohvaughn said.
On Thursday, Dwyane hit back at his ex-wife in a statement that he posted on his Instagram account. He denied the allegations made by his former wife, saying they have hurt their children.
He wrote: "Since this must be the new way of parenting, I guess I have to address these allegations here, which is a damn shame.
"While I'm on a life-changing trip in our motherland, Africa, I've received a social media post about me forcing our 15-year-old child to be someone she's not and to do something against her will. These are serious and harmful allegations that have hurt our children."
He continued: "While none of us are surprised by Siohvaughn's attempt to fight Zaya's identity and her unwavering attempt to drag my name through the mud, I'm very disappointed that she continuously finds ways of centering herself and HER needs, without regard to her children."
Dwayne added, "Siohvaughn has decided to be pretty much an absent parent to Zaya ALL ON HER OWN."
"I will not sit on my hands and allow her to make a mockery of my dedication to my family. The high road has run out of real estate. My lawyer will be in contact and best of luck to the 14th lawyer as they try to unravel this book of lies that's been sold to them," he said.
