That certainly sounds like a challenging situation.
Dwyane Wade is reflecting on a painful episode from his past with his wife, Gabrielle Union, one that nearly led to the demise of their relationship.
During an appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, the 41-year-old NBA Hall of Famer recounted the time when he had to disclose to Union, who is 50, that he had fathered a son named Xavier with another woman during a break in their relationship.
Wade revealed that in 2013, at that moment, he contemplated ending their relationship, believing it would be in their best interest.
“I tried to handle it delicately, tried to initiate a breakup,” Wade confided to Sharpe, discussing his efforts to communicate with Union. “I used lines like, ‘Things haven’t been going well lately,’ or ‘We’ve been growing apart.’ I tried all of that. But she persisted.”
Wade recognized the importance of having a “difficult conversation” with the star of “Bring It On” about fathering a child with someone else.
“You’re wrestling with all sorts of thoughts, and it’s daunting,” Wade admitted. “First of all, the whole situation is intimidating enough, especially when you’re a public figure. But you are also aware that this revelation will cause pain to someone with whom you’ve been building a relationship and a life.”
He continued, “No matter what the public says or thinks, ultimately, you have to confront yourself and have that conversation with this person. I had to sit down with my wife and have this conversation.”
Wade shared that this turbulent period coincided with the playoffs and was an emotionally trying time. However, he emphasized that he wouldn’t have been able to navigate through the situation without Union by his side.
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Ultimately, the couple decided to work through their relationship challenges and became engaged in December 2013, subsequently marrying in August of the following year. Following years of grappling with infertility, which they candidly discussed, they welcomed their daughter, Kaavia James Union-Wade, via surrogate in 2018.
Wade has two children with his ex-wife, Siovaughn Funches: Zaire, 21, and Zaya, 16. Additionally, he has a nine-year-old son, Xavier, with Aja Metoyer. Wade also serves as the legal guardian of his nephew, Dahveon Morris, who is 21.
“It hasn’t been perfect, and it will never be perfect, but that was nine years ago,” Wade reflected on their past relationship struggles. “We’ve sought therapy, had arguments about it, had regular conversations about it, so it’s an ongoing effort and something I have to continually work on.”
He added, “It doesn’t simply vanish with the passage of time or by saying ‘I’m sorry.'”
In a 2021 essay for Time, Union shared her perspective on the couple’s emotional journey.
“It should go without saying that we were not in a good place at the time that child was conceived,” Union wrote. “But we were doing much better when he finally told me about the pregnancy. To say I was devastated is to pick a word on a low shelf for convenience.”
She also noted, “There are people—strangers I will never meet—who have been upset that I have not previously talked about that trauma. I have not had words, and even after untold amounts of therapy, I am not sure I have them now.”
Nevertheless, Wade views this experience as an integral part of their “story.”
“At the end of the day, this is my family, this is my story,” Wade concluded for Sharpe. “We will navigate through this as we always have, as a family.”
Check out more of Wade and Union below:
