Zaya Wade Makes Red-Carpet Debut at Truth Awards

Kadence Perkins

(Left to right) Dwayne Wade, Zaya Wade, and Gabrielle Union at the Truth Awards

Twelve-year-old Zaya Wade made her very first appearance at the sixth annual Truth Awards in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Accompanied by her father, the legendary Dwyane Wade, and her stepmother actress Gabrielle Union, she showed out in a stunningly vibrant green suit jacket and button down complemented by black dress pants. This combination was accented with several rings, a collar-laden necklace, a hot pink diagonal stripe detail and a hot pink clutch purse. 

The Truth Awards, started by an organization called Better Brothers L.A., were created to honor black men and women of the LGBTQIA community for their achievements in fine arts, community ventures, and business. The ceremony also awards scholarships and funding to youth in the LGBTQIA community.

Zaya and her stepmother, Gabrielle Union

Dwyane Wade himself, being the supportive father he is, took to Instagram to express how proud he was of his daughter. "Last night was Zaya's first red carpet and we couldn't have been prouder of how she handled the questions that were asked of her. She has emerged as one of the young faces and voices for the LGBTQIA community," he typed. This comes weeks after Zaya’s decision to identify as transgender, drawing large outpourings of both support and criticism from people worldwide. Both Dwayne Wade and Gabrielle Union are taking steps to learn as much as they can to support their daughter, elaborating on Ellen that they are “just trying to figure out as much information as we can to make sure that we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self.”