Zaya Wade Reveals How Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union Feel About Her Dating at 17

Like all teenagers, Zaya Wade is navigating the trials and tribulations of high school dating. But unlike her peers, the 17-year-old has famous parents that can make the experience all that more challenging.

In a new interview with Seventeen, Zaya was asked about her dating life and how her dad, retired NBA player Dwyane Wade, and stepmom, actress Gabrielle Union, feel about her getting into romantic relationships—or rather, "situationships"—at such a young age. "I could lie and say we’re just trying to get into college, but we’re high school girls," Zaya told the outlet, adding: "'Dating' is an aggressive term though. In Gen Z, situationships are king."

She continued, "In no way are we opposed to a relationship, but sometimes there’s comfort in not being so locked in. At the end of day, I have to focus on me."

As for how her parents feel about her dating, Zaya explained, "They're really cool about it. Me and my stepmom love to dish the dirt and tap into the high school gossip. She gets excited for me when I'm like, 'Oh, I like this person.'"

Her dad, on the other hand, "tries to scare any person I have interest in," says Zaya. "He's kind of intimidating," she admitted. "The people I've dated have all been afraid of him in the first interaction. He's gigantic and has this deep, booming voice. But the facade only lasts for so long and you actually see his real personality. He's a teddy bear."

Elsewhere in the interview, Zaya opened up about the special bond she shares with her dad and one of the sweet ways he has supported her trans journey. “I love a binge-watch. And this is really cute,” Zaya said. “My dad and I watch Heartstopper together. He texted me one night, ‘I want to do movie night with you. Come down in one hour.’ He set up candy and popcorn. I was scared because you know when your parents ask you to watch something, you’re like, ‘Ah, here we go.’”

“But then he said, ‘This new show came out, Heartstopper,’ and I was like, ‘Oh my god!’ It’s very queer, so of course I’d heard about it,” she continued. “When I tell you it was 1 in the morning and we were on episode 8 of 9...Every time a new one comes out, there’s a text message, ‘Oh my god, the new Heartstopper just dropped.’”

Read the original article on InStyle