Vanessa Bryant, the wife of the late and great Kobe Bryant, honored her husband and their daughter, Gianna “Gigi,” on the fourth anniversary of their death.
The 41-year-old took to Instagram with a photo of Kobe and Gigi smiling together courtside at a basketball game with the legend’s arm wrapped around her, placing two red hearts in the caption.
The Los Angeles Lakers, the shooting guard’s former team, posted the same photo with the caption, “Forever,” followed by a purple heart.
The world was devastated when the news of Kobe’s death surfaced on Jan. 26, 2020. Initially, reports stated that the All-Star died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA and that three other people traveled with him. Five people died after the helicopter burst into flames.
As the story developed, the world discovered Kobe, 41, and Gigi, 13, were aboard the chopper that departed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, along with seven of their peers, to travel 14 miles to a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks.
During the journey to the tournament, the helicopter crashed on the way. Along with Kobe and Giigi, pilot Ara Zobayan, Christina Mauser, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester and Peyton Chester all died in the accident.
Following the accident, Bryant took Los Angeles County to court over the tragic photos of the crash site the deputies released. According to MadameNoire, the court discovered the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and Fire Department (LAFD) published photos of the crash with the bodies of Bryant’s and co-plaintiff Chris Chester’s family members displayed.
Chester, who lost his wife Sarah and daughter Peyton in the crash, and Bryant argued that the county invading their privacy caused emotional distress and mental anguish amid them mourning their family’s death.
The jury awarded the two a combined $31 million on Aug. 24, 2022, and they reached a settlement where LA County awarded Chester $19.95 million and $28,850,000 for Bryant.
“The $28,850,000 settlement includes the verdict awarded by the federal jury in August 2022 and further resolves all outstanding issues related to pending legal claims in state court, future claims by the Bryant children, and other costs, with each party responsible for its respective attorneys’ fees,” Mira Hashmall, lead trial counsel for LA County, explained.
Luis Li, Bryant’s attorney, called the defendants’ conduct “grotesque” and said the lawsuit was to hold them accountable.
“Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct,” Li said. “She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice.”
Bryant reportedly donated her settlement to Kobe’s Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, which she runs.
