Dwyane Wade’s Ex Mother-In Law Speaks Out, Says He Was Physically Abusive to Siohvaughn

The efforts to destroy the life of my daughter and her children, sadly, are coming from the person who once came to my door with just two black garbage bags to his name. Dwyane entered my life not long after the death of my firstborn child, Garrica, a premed student who was killed in a car accident on her way back to school. God allowed me to do for Dwyane exactly what I did for Siohvaughn and Garrica: By His grace, I provided a safe home environment for Dwyane; I fed, clothed, sheltered, educated and encouraged Dwyane to pursue and fulfill his dreams. I took him to the doctor and hospital when he was sick, filled his prescriptions, tended his wounds, and even defended him against his own father, who abused him. I took Dwyane Wade Jr., then 17, to get his driver’s license; I opened up his first checking account and taught him how to write checks and balance his check book, and provided him with his own debit card; I motivated Dwyane by rewarding him for his good report cards and grades.

I remember when Dwyane knocked on my door late one Friday night in May of 1999, and asked me if I had meant it when I said I would never let a kid go hungry or have no place to live or not have what they needed to go to school, or no clothes to wear. I told him I did, and he said, “Mama, I’m home.” I found out that Dwyane was kicked out during one of many abusive and violent episodes at his home between his father and stepmother.

It was right after the NBA draft in June 2003 that Dwyane’s transformation for the worse began. Then it escalated to an unbelievable level that was, in my opinion, officially sanctioned when Cook County Court enabled him to now become “legally abusive.” Dwyane is no longer physically putting his hands on my daughter; however, he continues to verbally, psychologically and financially abuse my daughter and my grandsons—by using his money and influence to keep his children away from their mother. Dwyane’s decision to take my grandchildren away from their mother was not an act of love, but of punishment, selfishness and hate—and the manifestation of a pattern of domestic violence.”