Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union have been defending their relationship since it sparked up a few years back. While most of the backlash came from reports that Wade was still married to the mother of his sons when they started dating, Wade has cleared the air on whether Union is trying to step in and replace his now ex-wife.

Gabrielle Union Said Not Having Kids Is Like ‘Wearing A Scarlet Letter’

Wade and Union validated their romance when they tied the knot more than a year ago. But they are still having to offer up explanations and answers to many questions that surround their relationship.

He defended Union against critics telling Ocean Drive earlier this week:

WATCH: Gabrielle Union Leaves Out Dwyane Wade’s Love Child When Gushing About Family

“She can give me a different perspective sometimes; support, other times. My wife is very, very, very smart when it comes to everything in life. She’s been through a lot. She’s seen a lot. her voice is wanted not only from me, but the kids as well. They have a mother and she’s not trying to replace their mother, but in our household, she’s the lady in charge and they respect her for it.”

He added, “I think I make pretty good decisions when it comes to certain things. I’ve been able to be here 13 years, get to the finals five times with multiple teams and multiple roles, so I’ve made the tough decisions and I’ve made the easy decisions and they trust me to make them.”

Wade was hit with even more backlash after his former the details of his status with his ex-wife, Siohvaughn Funches hit headlines. They were going through a very ugly custody battle and at one point she said she was homeless.

Check out his full interview here.