Why was Dwayne Wade’s mom in jail? All we know as NFL star’s mom praises son for being pen pal during prison stint

Dwayne Wade's mother, Jolinda Wade, recently opened up in an interview about a difficult period in her life, when she was arrested and incarcerated for possession of drugs in 1994, according to The Washington Post.

According to People magazine, Dwayne Wade and Jolinda Wade appeared on Today with Jenna & Friends, where she also praised her son for helping her through her incarceration.

Jolinda Wade, who now works as a pastor, opened up that it was her son, Dwayne Wade, who was one of the few people who stood by her side. During the interview, she also added more context about her addiction issues in the 1990s, which led to her homelessness and arrest.

More from Dwayne Wade and Jolinda Wade's interview, as they talk about their difficult period during his childhood

Dwayne Wade and Jolinda Wade, during their recent appearance on Today with Jenna & Friends on July 7, 2025, reminisced about their shared difficult past. During the conversation, Jolinda Wade said it was the letters that her son sent her that got her through her days in prison. She said:

"I remember how we became pen pals when I was incarcerated.Your letters got me through each day and enabled me to be a part of all the wonderful things that was happening in your life.”

She also reflected on how her children struggled because of her issues stemming from addiction, among other things. She said:

"My kids struggled with me. I grappled many years with drug addiction. Heroin, alcohol, pills, well, you know, we can go on down you name it. Alcoholism, homelessness, in and out of prison. Just living a life that was totally separated from my babies. One thing I always wanted to be was a mother and once I stopped being that person, I lost me. And I didn’t know how to grab me back at the time.”

She further praised Dwayne Wade, saying that he has been the most amazing and patient father to his five children. She said:

"My love, I admire how you embrace your beautiful child Zaya — my granddaughter. And you encourage her to be who she is. What a dad. You protect her, you speak with her to understand who she is. You don’t judge or condemn. When you sent me pictures of my grandson Zaire, I was able to tell from your letters how very proud you were. You made up your mind that you were going to be the best dad you could be and that is exactly what you’ve become. Son, you are simply one of the best dads a child could have. Just like everything else in your life, you give fatherhood your all.”

According to People, Dwayne Wade and his three siblings kept supporting their mother, which helped her overcome the darker thoughts that clouded her mind. She said:

"When suicide came up, I would see their faces. I didn’t want to do it anymore. One thing about my precious four babies — they never stopped loving me. They never stopped loving me, never judged me, never condemned me.”

Dwayne Wade also added his own perspective on the matter, saying:

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"Growing up being a mama’s boy, being the youngest, being the only boy, I had my way. It was good. But you know, watching my mom going through something I couldn’t understand at the young age I was at, I didn’t even know what judgement really was. I just knew what love was.”

During her conversation with Jenna Bush Hager, Jolinda Wade also added that it was, infact, her son, Dwayne Wade who encouraged her to come out with her story, so that it could encourage others on their journey as well.

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