Miami Heat’s star player Dwyane Wade’s love life hasn’t been the smoothest. He’s currently married to Gabrielle Union. And while they have had their own fair share of highs and lows, it doesn’t get worse than Wade’s first marriage to 36-year-old Siohvaughn Funches.
| About Siohvaughn Funches | |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Spouse | Dwyane Wade 2002-2010 |
| Children | Zion Malachi Airamis Wade, Zaire Blessing Dwyane Wade |
| Parents | Darlene Funches, Frank Funches |
| Alumni | Harold L. Richards High School |
| Age | 36 Years |
| Book | The True Story For God’s Glory |
| Instagram Profile | siohvaughnfuncheswade |
Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union look like #CoupleGoals right now, but it wasn’t an easy road to marital bliss. Wade has a murky relationship history, which includes a bitter divorce battle with Siohvaughn Funches.
The embittered Funches has constantly made headlines for feuding with Wade. Our Siohvaughn Funches wiki illustrates Dwyane Wade’s complicated history with his first wife.
Dwyane Wade and Siohvaughn Funches’ Marriage
Chicago-born Dwyane Wade attended Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois, where he met and fell in love with Siohvaughn Funches. They had been together before Wade became an NBA star.
He was practically living in Funches’ mother Darlene’s home to escape from his own troubled home life.
Funches and Wade were broke when they married in 2002. They resided in a cramped apartment with their newborn son, Zaire Blessing Dwyane Wade (born February 4, 2002), while Wade played basketball at Marquette University in Wisconsin.
She recalled that she would do anything for Wade. And in one instance, she claimed to have stolen basketball sneakers for him by putting “on men’s basketball shoes over the top of my own shoes and walking out of the store with them on.”
Wade was gearing up for the 2002 draft, but she had asked him to wait until they settled down as a family. He did a wait a year before applying for the 2003 NBA draft. And when Wade was drafted that year, he was selected fifth overall by the Miami Heat.
As Wade rose to become one of the best players in the league, Funches was your regular NBA WAG, who accompanied him to red carpets and enjoyed the life of luxury. But the pressure of wealth and fame also ended their marriage, according to Funches.
She Lost Custody of Her Sons
Shortly after the birth of Funches and Wade’s second son, Zion Malachi Airamis Wade, on May 29, 2007, Wade filed for divorce. A lengthy court battle ensued until the divorce was granted in 2010.
The divorce process was slowed down because Funches constantly changed attorneys.
In 2017, her 13th attorney had appealed to a judge to throw out the malpractice lawsuit she filed against him. She alleged this attorney tricked her into signing an agreement with Wade.
Wade filed for custody for their sons, and in 2011, a Chicago court granted him sole custody of Zaire and Zion Wade. Funches was granted “regular parenting time” by the court.
The ruling contained strong words about Funches, saying that she tried to “alienate the children from their father.” However, she believes the ruling was in his favor because of his “celebrity influence and money.”
Siohvaughn Funches shared a photo with her sons, Zaire and Zion Wade (Photo: Instagram/siohvaughnfuncheswade)
The former couple filed multiple lawsuits against each other, dragging the process. Funches had alleged Wade was physically abusive and even sued Gabrielle Union, alleging she caused the divorce.
Wade sued her for defamation and accused her of kidnapping when she failed to hand over their sons after a visit.
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Siohvaughn Funches’ Divorce Settlement
After losing custody of her sons, Dwyane Wade’s ex-wife had a pretty dramatic meltdown in public. After Funches received $5.0 million in the divorce settlement, she staged a protest in the streets of Chicago.
She held up a handwritten sign that read, “NBA Miami Heat star, mother of his children on the streets.”
It was implausible for Siohvaughn Funches to be homeless considering all that she received in the divorce.
Wade reportedly gave her $25,000 every month and paid her mortgage and other maintenance requirements. She got to keep the South Holland mansion that was once their home and four cars.
But Funches, in her street protest, claimed that she didn’t see any money from the settlement and has a share in the millions Wade makes in endorsements. But her lawsuit to get a share of his endorsement earnings was dismissed.
She alleged that she had to dip into her personal savings to raise her sons. With her savings dwindling, she was close to bankruptcy.
Though she demanded more from Wade, Funches detailed in her book that she had come to hate the NBA WAG life and “loathed money.”
Funches wrote that she had no financial stability after the divorce. And one of her fired attorneys claimed that Funches gave away houses and cars to friends and didn’t receive any money for them.
She Made Explosive Claims in Her Book
She published a book titled The True Story For God’s Glory (2016), where she disputed claims made in Wade’s book, A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball.
In Siohvaughn Funches’ book, she alleges that Wade harshly disciplined their oldest son.
Siohvaughn Funches shared a screenshot of her book from Amazon (Photo: Instagram/siohvaughnfuncheswade)
Wade has said in his book that Siohvaughn is the most “loving, caring” mother, “But it had become clear to me … that she was going to disregard orders and throw up every and any excuse to keep me from seeing them.”
In her book, Funches said she became an “arrogant diva” trying to fit in with other NBA wives. She also said that she got a call from Wade’s mistress during their marriage and detailed instances of domestic abuse.
She Is a Domestic Violence Counselor
There isn’t much known about Funches. She wrote in her book that her Christian faith helped her bounce back from her divorce and financial problems.
She moved from Miami to Chicago during the divorce and was living with her mother. Wade reportedly pays for her trips to see their sons in Miami.
Siohvaughn Funches is a domestic violence counselor (Photo: Instagram/siohvaughnfuncheswade)
She attended law school, but the status of her studies is not known. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s-level certification in professional counseling, and is a professional domestic violence counselor. She’s also active as a public speaker.
She continues to file lawsuits related to her divorce, mostly malpractice suits against her divorce attorneys.
In recent legal history, Siohvaughn Funches, age 36, was trying to get the mutual non-disparage agreement from their divorce terms thrown out.
“My voice isn’t for sale, my story isn’t for sale, no thank you,” Funches had declared.
However, she got around the agreement in her book by never directly naming Dwyane Wade. She always referred to him as the “father of her child” or her “ex-husband.”
Siohvaughn Funches Instagram and Facebook activity are limited, and she mostly posts about her faith. Nonetheless, she makes up gossip on social media.
Most Internet denizens express sympathy for Siohvaughn Funches. But they are also concerned about Gabrielle Union, given Dwyane Wade’s history with Basketball Wives star, Aja Metoyer.