A legal battle that NBA star Dwyane Wade and his ex-wife have been fighting for years has a new chapter.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Siohvaughn Funches-Wade filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging that Wade is violating the terms of a 2008 agreement that requires his endorsement deals be fully deposited into a joint account they both control.
According to the paper, the lawsuit seeks a total of $2 million in damages from Wade, four companies involved in endorsement deals, a financial adviser and an attorney.
James Pritikin, Wade's attorney, said the lawsuit was without merit and that he expected it to be thrown out of court. He also said that the lawsuit "mischaracterizes" the terms of the agreement involving the joint account but declined to comment further.
The lawsuit comes just weeks after Wade's Miami Heat won the NBA championship series against the San Antonio Spurs — the kind of event that often results in more endorsement opportunities for professional athletes.
It also follows a messy divorce and custody battle that played out in Chicago courtrooms between Wade, a Chicago-area native, and his ex-wife for about five years. In 2010, Wade was granted a divorce and the next year he was awarded sole custody of the couple's two sons.
Last year, Funches-Wade was arrested on misdemeanor charges of attempted child abduction, unlawful visitation interference and obstruction of a peace officer after an incident related to visitation. The Cook County State's Attorney's Office said Wednesday that all the charges except obstruction of a peace officer have been dismissed. The office said Funches-Wade is scheduled to appear in court on that charge in September.
