Photos of Kobe Bryant with his wife Vanessa Bryant show a loving bond.
The couple certainly faced difficulties during their marriage. However, they made it through to the end. Photos show them stepping out on the red carpet together. They show them with family. They show Vanessa supporting her husband when he was on the basketball court.
Kobe Bryant (L) and Vanessa Laine Bryant attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California.
Vanessa’s first words after Kobe’s tragic death in a helicopter crash spoke to her deep love for the NBA star. “My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri,” she wrote in part (you can read the rest of the Instagram post later in this article).
Kobe Bryant poses with his family at halftime after both his #8 and #24 Los Angeles Lakers jerseys are retired at Staples Center on December 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Vanessa was not on the doomed helicopter that crashed into a Calabasas, California hillside, killing Kobe, their 13 year old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people (you can see a roundup of victims here.)
Since 1999, Vanessa was at Kobe’s side. He referred to her as “my star.”
Vanessa Bryant (L) and Kobe Bryant attend the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on March 4, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California.
Here’s what you need to know:
Vanessa Met Kobe on a Video Shoot When She Was a Teen
Lakers basketball player Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa pose at the Los Angeles Lakers 3rd annual Mirage Las Vegas Casino Night and Bodog Celebrity Poker Invitational benefiting Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation at Barker Hangar on April 12, 2006 in Santa Monica, California.
The Bryants’ relationship was a long-standing one that dated back to Vanessa’s teenage years. Kobe and Vanessa Bryant went on their first date in 1999 – to Disneyland.
She was born on May 5, 1982. Thus, she’s been with Kobe since her teens. When they met, Vanessa a backup dancer at a Snoop Dogg video shoot, according to Daily Beast.
Kobe Bryant (L) and Vanessa Laine Bryant attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California.
The Los Angeles Times described how Kobe had revealed that he was engaged to a high school student, and “television news crews descended upon Marina High School in Huntington Beach” where Vanessa was a senior.
Kobe Bryant, formerly of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, arrives with his family for Nickelodeon’s Kids Choice Sports 2016 at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion on July 14, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.
At first, Kobe’s family didn’t accept his new wife.
Vanessa Wrote, ‘I’m Not Sure What Our Lives Hold Beyond Today’
A heartbroken Vanessa took to Instagram to share her feelings after Kobe and Gianna died. The post demonstrated her extreme grief.
“We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately.
There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now,” the post continued. “I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.”
Kobe Bryant #24 of the Los Angeles Lakers smiles with his wife Vanessa Lynne during the Taco Bell Skills Challenge on All-Star Saturday Night, part of 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend at American Airlines Center on February 13, 2010 in Dallas, Texas.
The heartbreaking post continued, “I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever. Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality.”
Vanessa Laine and Kobe Bryant attend the Make-A-Wish Greater Los Angeles 30th Anniversary Gala on December 4, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.
She concluded with this: “To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org. To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org. Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family ❤️.”
Kobe’s Family Took Time to Accept Vanessa
Los Angeles Laker’s Kobe Bryant and wife Vanessa attend The 2003 Teen Choice Awards held at Universal Amphitheater on August 2, 2003 in Universal City, California.
Kobe’s family wasn’t entirely settled on Vanessa, at least at first. There were the challenges of her very young age, for starters.
According to EOnline, Vanessa was a “17-year-old Latina model” when they met, and Kobe asked her to marry him just six months later. She was 18 when they wed.
GettyLos Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant and wife Vanessa, arrive the Rush Hour 2 Premiere held at the Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA., Thursday, July 26, 2001.
However, EOnline reported that Kobe’s family didn’t make the nuptials because they thought he was too young. Vanessa is half Mexican and half Irish in ancestry, the site reports. According to the Los Angeles Times, they were married at a Catholic church in Dana Point in April 2001. Kobe claimed his parents were unhappy because Vanessa was part-Latina, the newspaper reported.
NBA player Kobe Bryant (R), wife Vanessa Bryant and their daughter Natalia attend the premiere of Walt Disney’s “Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End” held at Disneyland on May 19, 2007 in Anaheim, California.
They didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement.
The couple’s relationship wasn’t always smooth sailing. According to Daily Beast, Vanessa filed for divorce in 2011 after being married to Kobe for 10 years.
The reason: irreconcilable differences. However, Daily Beast reported that speculation about Kobe’s possible extramarital affairs, including with a Playboy model and reality TV show producer, may have affected Vanessa’s decision.
Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers kisses his wife Vanessa following his last game as a Laker against Utah Jazz in their season-ending NBA western division matchup in Los Angeles, California on April 13, 2016, where the Lakers defeated the Jazz 101-96.
Of course, years before that, in 2003, Kobe was accused of sexual assault, but the charges were drooped because the accuser wouldn’t testify; Bryant denied those accusations, and Vanessa stood steadfastly by him.
“You have to remember Kobe met Vanessa when she was like 16 or something,” says Fred Mwangaguhunga, editor of MediaTakeOut.com, told Daily Beast. “They’ve been together ever since. They have a lot of history together, both good and bad. I’m surprised she stayed when she could have walked away with more than $100 million. She must love him.”
Vanessa Is the Mother of Kobe’s 4 Kids
Former NBA and Los Angeles Lakers player Kobe Bryant (far right) and his wfie Vanessa Laine Bryant attend Game Four of the 2018 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
Vanessa gave Kobe four children, including Gianna, the teenager who died with her dad in the helicopter crash. All of them are girls.
She gave birth to their first daughter, Natalia Diamante, in January 2003. That was around the time he was accused of sexual assault, but, according to The Times, he bought her an eight-carat purple diamond ring worth about $4 million to make it up to her.
Vanessa Laine Bryant (L) and Kobe Bryant attend the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 24, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California.
She went on to also give birth to Bianka Bella, 3; and Capri Kobe, less than 1. You can learn more about all of Vanessa and Kobe’s kids here.
In an appearance on the Jimmy Kimmel show, Kobe movingly spoke about Gianna’s basketball prowess. In the video, Jimmy Kimmel asks: “You think your daughter might want to play in the WNBA?”
Kobe, beaming with pride, responded, “She does for sure. This kid, man.”
US basketball player Kobe Bryant and wife Vanessa Laine Bryant attend the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the 91st Academy Awards at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills on February 24, 2019.
“Wouldn’t that be great?” Kimmel said.
“Dude, man, I’ll tell you. The best thing that happens is when we go out, and fans will come up to me, and she will be standing next to me, and they will be like, ‘Hey, you gotta have a boy, you and Vi gotta have a boy, man, someone to carry on the tradition and the legacy,’ and she goes, ‘I got this.’”
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Vanessa Bryant Photos Show Loving Bond with Kobe