Dwyane Wade Tells Court He Was Domestic Abuse Victim
CHICAGO (STMW) -- Miami Heat star Dwayne Wade testified in Cook County Circuit Court Friday that he was the victim of domestic violence at the hands of of his ex-wife, and he denied allegations that he has hit his children or ex-wife, used drugs or owned guns.
Wade, who is seeking sole custody of his two sons, is expected to be on the stand throughout the day Friday and again Monday responding for the first time to claims his ex-wife made in court papers.
"The biggest thing is to let your voice be heard, let your story be heard. A lot of things have been said about me . . . but at the end of the day my concern is for my kids," he said during a break during the hearing.
Wade testified that his ex-wife physically attacked him and threw "something marble" at him during an argument in the bathroom of the home they previously shared.
During that altercation, Wade testified he grabbed his ex-wife, Siohvaughn Wade, to subdue her, but she continued to attack him, swinging so wildly that she punched herself and got a bloody lip. Wade testified that he never struck her, contrary to his ex-wife's claims in court filings.
Wade also denied abandoning his wife and children, verbally abusing them and endangering the boys' lives, as his ex-wife claimed in court papers.
Wade, who was wearing a pinstriped suit with a red tie and black Louis Vuitton sneakers, said that the divorce and child custody cases have had a negative effect on his oldest son.
"It hurts to see him go through this. You don't ever want your kids to deal with any kind of parental problems. . . You want to do everything you can to help the relationship so they can have the best life possible even if the parents aren't together," Dwayne Wade said. "As a father, it hurts to see them hurting."
Wade, who is recovering from a minor hamstring injury, said he will be spending time with his boys while he is in Chicago this week. Friday night, they will probably play basketball and watch movies, he said.
In court later Friday, Wade is expected to respond to his ex-wife's claims in court filings that he gave her a sexually transmitted disease.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2010. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
