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Who is Siohvaughn Funches?- Biography
Siohvaughn Funches, an American public speaker, Christian counselor, author, and businesswoman from Chicago, was born on September 6, 1981, making her 41 years old. Siohvaughn Funches is best known for being Dwayne Wade’s ex-wife, an NBA star.
There is no denying that Siohvaughn Funches is a very accomplished woman based on her resume. The native of Chicago has established herself as an entrepreneur, author, Christian counselor, public speaker, and recipient of numerous awards. Unfortunately, she is still well-known for the contentious divorce she had with NBA star Dwayne Wade, her ex-husband. Funches and Wade started dating in high school after meeting in elementary school.
When they finally got married, everyone assumed they would have a happy life together. This turned out to be false, and their breakup was followed by one of the most difficult divorces in NBA history.
Siohvaughn Funches: Bio, Age, Parents, Ethnicity
Siohvaughn Funches, who was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 6, 1981, is a four-person family. This includes her mother Darlene, her sister Garrica LeAnna Woods, and her father Frank Funches. Funches was raised in Chicago and had a largely typical upbringing that was tainted by a few questionable events.
She had to split her childhood between two houses because her parents divorced when she was just three years old. Then, as a teenager, her only sister, Garrica, also passed away. The young Funches obviously took a major hit from this, but she didn’t give up and went on to graduate from Oak Lawn, Illinois’ Richards High School.
Education, Schooling
She then enrolled at Marquette University to begin her collegiate studies. Funches will later transfer to the University of Phoenix due to circumstances, but she persisted and earned a psychology degree in 2009. The following year, she received her professional certification in counseling from Capella University in Minneapolis. The educational pursuits of Siohvaughn Funches did not end there.
She attended the John Marshall Law School in Atlanta from 2014 to 2017 to earn her law degree, receiving a magna cum laude. She was encouraged to pursue a degree in theology by her Christian beliefs.
Quick Facts of Siohvaughn Funches
| Name: Siohvaughn L. Funches
Date of birth: 6th September 1981 Age: 41 Years Old Place of birth: Chicago, Illinois Father: Frank Funches Mother: Darlene Funches Siblings: Garrica LeAnna Woods Education Institutions attended: Richards High School Oak Lawn, Marquette University Milwaukee, University of Phoenix, Capella University, and John Marshall Law School Atlanta. Spouse: Dwayne Wade (2002 – 2007) Children: Zaire and Zaya Occupation: Lawyer, certified therapist, author, and entrepreneur Net worth: $5 million |
The relationship status of Siohvaughn Funches
Although most people are aware that Siohvaughn Funches and Dwayne Wade were high school sweethearts, their romance began earlier. They were between 10 and 11 years old when they initially connected in the fifth grade.
When they were in high school at Oak Lawn’s Richards High School, they quickly grew close and remained so until they started dating. Siohvaughn Funches was 15 years old when she started dating Dwayne Wade, but she already had a job, a car, and a source of cash. While a result, she was fairly independent and offered Wade comfort as he battled with a chaotic family life that included a demanding father and a drug-addicted mother.
As their bond grew stronger over time, Funches accompanied Wade when he received the chance to play college basketball at Wisconsin’s Marquette University. Early on, the couple had few resources and was forced to reside in a small one-bedroom apartment.
However, they were so deeply in love that they got married in only their third year of college, or in 2002. They had few resources at the time because Wade hadn’t yet achieved NBA success. As a result, their nuptials were simple yet heartfelt.
Before getting married, Siohvaughn Funches and Dwayne Wade gave birth to a boy they called Zaire Blessing Wade. Their happiness grew even further the next year, in 2003 when Wade was selected by the NBA. The entire family was able to live in luxury because of that draft, and they did so for several years.
They resided in one of the most affluent areas, and Funches supported her husband through the highs and lows of his early professional years. The couple attended multiple flashy award shows together and socialized with NBA stars as well as professional athletes.
Siohvaughn Funches and Dwayne Wade appeared to have a happy marriage to outsiders. This was further supported when they later welcomed a second child, called Zion (now Zaya), in 2007. That illusion, however, was dashed when Dwayne Wade filed for divorce from Funches in the same year, alleging irreconcilable differences as the cause. Many people were astonished by the divorce filing, but Wade acknowledged that there had been issues with the couple’s relationship since the birth of their first child in 2002. The NBA player claimed that because he and Finches started dating so young, they weren’t sure how to handle their problems.
They continued to struggle, and by the time Zaire, their first child, was born in 2002, their marriage was in serious trouble. They made the decision to put their issues aside and move on because they had just gotten married and welcomed a child. Before they reached their point of no return, they may continue doing so for the following five years.
The Couple’s Divorce Took Three Years to Complete Due to Disputes Over Child Custody
Siohvaughn Funches and Dwayne Wade’s divorce took a very long time to complete because of their disagreement over how to divide their assets. The custody of their children was a major source of conflict because each party fought to be named the main caregiver. In the course of the four-year divorce proceeding, Funches’ attorney changed up to 13 times. Every modification required that the entire procedure be restarted, but by 2010, the divorce had been finalized, and in 2011, the custody dispute had been resolved.
While Funches was granted visitation privileges, Dwayne Wade was granted primary custody of the children. The NBA player was also ordered to provide his ex-wife with various financial perks, including $10,000 per month for living and travel expenses, in addition to $25,000 per month in spousal support.
Funches was not pleased that her husband received exclusive custody and claimed that the judge had made this decision because of his popularity and wealth. She claimed that her ex-husband had won the case because he had wowed the judges with his celebrity appeal and used his fortune to pay publicists to malign her in the media.
Two years after their divorce, Siohvaughn Funches was arrested for kidnapping a child
Siohvaughn Funches and Dwayne Wade’s bitter divorce proceedings did not finish with a final divorce settlement, though. Even after the decision was reached, Funches and her ex-husband continued to argue over who should have custody of their children.
In 2012, Funches was once detained for attempted kidnapping after failing to promptly give the kids back to their father after a visit. Another time, her ex-husband urged the court to halt her visits, claiming she wasn’t in the correct state of mind and ask for a mental assessment.
Likewise, Siohvaughn Funches gave and received. In 2013, she charged Wade with being a negligent father for failing to give his son essential asthma medication. She further said that he beat their oldest son Zaire so severely that he had bruises. Funches also launched a lawsuit, requesting a share of the player’s lucrative endorsement deals.
She went on to hold a public protest in July 2013 outside the courthouse, claiming that the NBA star had abandoned her and left her penniless and homeless. Wade, of course, retaliated by saying that in addition to the $25,000 monthly payment, he was also covering her mortgage and four of her automobiles.
It was a terrible fight for everyone concerned, and Wade’s future wife, Gabrielle Union, as well as uninvolved persons, were brought into the controversy. When Funches and Wade divorced in 2007, the basketball superstar started dating the actress Gabrielle Union.
She went on to describe the actress as a home wrecker whose presence was harmful to the welfare of the children even though he hadn’t yet filed for divorce from Funches. She also filed a lawsuit against her for emotional anguish but eventually dropped it. Union was very tactful in her response and opted to use social media to disseminate a number of messages that were clearly directed toward Funches.
She pushed her to stop pointing the finger at others and instead own up to her faults and weaknesses. She also urged her to make a change commitment. The media happily covered the charges and denials made by Funches and Wade throughout the entire year of 2013. Later, they cooled down to minor quarrels now and then.
For instance, in 2016, Funches tried to prevent Wade from taking the children to Chicago, where he signed to play for the Chicago Bulls, by blocking Wade’s attempt. The player was permitted to move with the children after her application was denied.
Siohvaughn Funches currently has books out and runs a nonprofit organization for victims of domestic violence
Siohvaughn Funches and Dwayne Wade have put their feud behind them since it to a climax in 2013, sheathed their respective swords, and moved on with their lives. Funches is currently an author who has been published and the head of a nonprofit. The True Story for God’s Glory: The Life of Siohvaughn L. Funches Wade (2016) and You Gotta Let God Finish! are the author’s two inspirational publications to date (2018). These novels are based on her experiences in the protracted conflict she had with her ex-husband and how God sustained her.
The A Woman’s Worth Foundation is a nonprofit organization that Funches also started. This Christian ministry offers Safe Haven of Hope, a shelter for women and children who have survived domestic abuse, as well as qualified Christian counseling.
Funches and her team can help victims of domestic violence who are struggling with identification and self-worth. They offer them several hours of free expert domestic abuse counseling so they can recognize their God-given identities and move on to live out their lives destinies.
Funches claimed that her experiences with her ex-husband were what motivated her to start A Woman’s Worth Foundation. Before being selected for the NBA and being instantly a millionaire, she claimed Wade was kind and devoted. His attitude changed as a result, and he started using foul language.
While they were arguing, he was also physically aggressive and tossed her body into the marble bathroom floor. He grabbed the phone and threw it against the wall as she attempted to call the police. Naturally, Dwayne Wade has refuted these accusations, and he has never been put on trial.
She also runs a real estate business and has won numerous awards for her legal work
One of Siohvaughn Funches’ many reasons for obtaining a law degree was the length of her divorce from her ex-husband. She has used this education to launch The Mediation Matters LLC, her own alternative conflict resolution law company.
The business is based in Atlanta and offers customers a range of qualified alternative dispute resolution options. In Georgia, Funches is also a registered Guardian ad Litem, civil mediator, and arbitrator. She mediates a lot of disputes for judges in the former position, and she represents neglected and abused children in court as a Guardian ad Litem.
Her excellent work has earned her numerous honors and recognition, including the Supreme Court Justice Leah Ward Sears Award and the Honourable Edward J. Henning Memorial Award for Excellence in the Alternative Dispute Resolution Field. In addition to her legal work, Siohvaughn Funches is a highly sought-after public speaker who earns a fortune from speaking engagements.
The Chicago native also launched a number of businesses, including a line of women’s clothing and a real estate investment company that offers executive business travelers hotel-style accommodations along the coast as well as holiday homes for families.
Siohvaughn Funches has amassed a respectable net worth as a result of all of her endeavors; while it may not be as high as that of her ex-husband, it is still nothing to laugh at.
With her two children, Siohvaughn Funches has reestablished a close relationship
While Dwayne Wade is now wed to Gabrielle Union, a well-known Hollywood actress, things with his ex-wife are different. Siohvaughn Funches is satisfied to concentrate her energy on her different projects and has never remarried. The qualified therapist-turned-lawyer also shows her two children from her first marriage a lot of love and care.
After her divorce from Dwayne Wade, Funches found it particularly difficult to adjust to the fact that she wouldn’t always be able to see her children. Her visiting privileges were occasionally limited as a result of their custody disputes, which made the situation more problematic.
When her second son, Zion, came out as transgender in 2020 and began going by the name Zaya, she didn’t get to see her kids very frequently and didn’t have much say in the matter.
Funches must have been disappointed because it was mostly dad Wade and stepmom Union that took care of the young Zaya. She somehow maintained her composure, and now her connection with her children is improving.
She happily shared photos of the children coming to visit her for Christmas on Instagram in December 2020. She praised God for allowing it to happen and said that the event was all she wished for Christmas to happen. Her ex-husband Dwayne Wade responded favorably to the message, and as a result, relations between the formerly antagonistic ex-couples may now be friendly and civil.
