Dwyane Wade is looking back on one of the toughest moments of his life.
In an upcoming ESPN documentary titled D.Wade: Life Unexpected, the NBA veteran looks back on his career milestones, invites viewers into his life beyond the court, and a personal look at his relationship with wife Gabrielle Union. At one point, the star gets deeply candid about the moment he confessed to fathering a child with another woman when the two were on a break in 2013.
Related: Dwyane Wade Recalls Proud Moment His 12-Year-Old Came Out As Transgender
According to Entertainment Tonight, the 38-year-old professional basketball player admits in the upcoming special:
“I had a child with someone else and I had to tell her. Hardest thing I’ve ever had to do is man up and tell Gabrielle Union that I’ve had a child with somebody else. I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t eating.”
He continued explaining how the secret tore him up inside and why he had no other choice but to be honest with Union. Wade was already father to son Zaire, 18, and daughter Zaya, 12, when he and Basketball Wives star Aja Metoyer conceived 6-year-old Xavier shortly before reuniting with and proposing to the former America’s Got Talent judge:
“When you hold something in that you know is going to come out and you have this information and you know it’s gonna f**k somebody’s life up, that you care about, that you love, if it don’t hurt you, then you’re not human. Me and Gab just went through something that you never want to go through and we still came out of it.”
Wade and the 47-year-old actress welcomed their first child together, daughter Kaavia James, in late 2018, via surrogate. Their baby’s arrival came after the couple suffered several miscarriages while trying to expand their family. Dwyane said finally being able to have a child with Gabrielle directly affected his decision to retire in 2019:
“That was my push away from the game. It was time. There just came a point when I had to look in the mirror and say, ‘What more do you want out of this?'”
We’re so glad their relationship and family were able to survive through those difficult times. Especially since the couple has proven themselves to be rockstar parents and supporters to Zaya, who recently came out as transgender.
During an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast hosted by fellow former NBA stars Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes back in December, the athlete praised his child for living their truth and encouraged others to take note:
“Everybody get used to it, man. This is the new normal. So if anybody different, we looked at as different. You know what I’m saying? The ones that don’t understand it. The ones that don’t get it. The ones that are stuck in a box. You’re different. Not the people that are out here living their lives, man. You want to talk about strength and courage? My 12-year-old has way more than I have. You can learn something from your kids.”
Perezcious readers, will you check out D.Wade’s new doc when it premieres on ESPN on Sunday, February 23?
[Image via WENN/Avalon]
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