Dwyane Wade recently responded to the comments made about his child Zion Wade’s appearance on social media.
The former NBA star’s second-youngest child was a trending topic during Thanksgiving weekend. After Wade’s wife, Gabrielle Union, shared a photo of her with Dwyane, Zion, and baby Kaavia, many social media commenters began to notice that Zion was wearing acrylic nails. The photo resulted in many social media users making remarks regarding Zion’s form of expression, as well as the Dwyane and Gabrielle’s parenting, per People .
Dwyane took to his personal Twitter page to sound off on the comments on Saturday, November 30. The athlete defended his family and also shamed those who had anything negative to say about how he is choosing to raise his children.
“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,” Dwyane said.
“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!”
In addition to the tweet, Dwyane decided to repost the positive messages he received regarding his support of Zion. Many users shared the importance of allowing young, black children to freely express themselves in society and commended Dwyane for the work he is doing within his family.
“Idk if @DwyaneWade & @itsgabrielleu know how POWERFUL & MOVING it is that they’re embracing their son’s individuality. (D—it I’m crying) In our community, being given autonomy over your body, beliefs, image, & statements as a child isn’t a thing. That child is free & happy,” one fan shared with Dwyane. Dwyane then responded that it was his priority as a black father to ensure that his children have a safe space within his home.
This isn’t the first time that Dwyane and Gabrielle have come to Zion’s defense online. Back in October, the former Miami Heat player posted a photo on his Instagram stories of Zion, Gabrielle, and Kaavia. After Dwyane wrote “My Girls” on the photo, one commenter asked their followers what their thoughts were of the comment. The Being Mary Jane alum caught wind of the comment and shared that the photo was “love” and joked that Kaavia wasn’t going to allow any comments about her older sibling.
Dwyane made news earlier this week when he also decided to sound off on Gabrielle’s firing from America’s Got Talent . He commended his wife on Twitter for staying true to herself during her one season on the show. Gabrielle was reportedly let go for speaking out against inappropriate jokes and other injustices that occurred behind-the-scenes of the NBC show.