From learning of her husband and daughter's deaths via social media to being sued by her
own mother, Vanessa Bryant has experienced more than her fair share of tragedy.
As noted by the Los Angeles Times, the Bryants' marriage had long been dogged by allegations of infidelity.
Vanessa's friend told the outlet in 2005:
"She's been through a lot for someone her age."
Even worse, her husband was also accused of non-consensual sex.
In 2003, Kobe was arrested after a 19-year-old hotel employee alleged that the NBA star violently assaulted her.
Kobe, who was accused of subjecting the woman to extreme brutality, acknowledged having
sex with the accuser but denied rape.
"I sit here before you guys, embarrassed and ashamed for committing adultery."
There was significant incriminating evidence in the case, including bruises and vaginal
injuries, but Vanessa stood by her husband throughout the scandal.
She insisted that while Kobe had indeed cheated on her, he was not an abuser.
The case was dropped in 2004 as the accuser did not want to go to trial.
According to the Los Angeles Times, when the case was dismissed, Kobe stated:
"Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she
did not and does not view this incident the same way I did."
When Kobe died in 2020, many people brought up the rape allegation.
For instance, Vanessa hit back at "Westworld" star Evan Rachel Wood for tweeting that her
late husband was a rapist.
According to Complex, Vanessa branded the remarks as, quote, "vile and disturbing to
say the least."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available.
Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline
at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
In 2004, the Bryants were at the center of a major feud with retired basketball player
Karl Malone, who allegedly creeped on Vanessa.
According to the Los Angeles Times, when Vanessa met Malone, he apparently told her:
"I'm hunting for little Mexican girls."
Subsequently, she confided in Kobe that Malone sexually harassed her and had made a number
of inappropriate remarks.
Thereafter, Kobe allegedly threatened Malone, who denied making a move on Vanessa.
Kobe's agent, Rob Pelinka, told ESPN:
"Kobe has told me that he feels very hurt and betrayed by what has happened."
Furthermore, Kobe was highly protective of his wife following the accusations.
Kobe said at a press conference:
"The comments that [Malone] said, I don't know any man in this room that wouldn't be
upset about that [...] She felt uncomfortable being around him to the point that she felt
she had to call his wife and tell her."
With the feud ongoing for over a decade, Malone said he was ready to fight Kobe in 2015, according
to The New York Post.
Vanessa and Kobe were devoted to their daughters, but their efforts to conceive baby number
two were beset by tragedy.
In 2005, Vanessa suffered an ectopic pregnancy, which led to a miscarriage, according to New
York Daily News.
Kobe blamed himself for the loss, explaining that he believed his rape case was causing
Vanessa too much stress.
Indeed, Vanessa was struggling with an undisclosed medical emergency shortly before her husband
surrendered himself to the police in 2003, though this predates the miscarriage, according
to The New York Post.
Kobe said in the documentary "Kobe Bryant's Muse":
"But the reality is that it happened because of me."
"That's something I have to deal with.
Something I gotta carry forever."
According to insiders, Vanessa began to feel her identity slowly slip away once she married
her superstar beau.
Her cousin told the Los Angeles Times:
"I remember at one point she had this sort of identity crisis.
She told me she was starting not to know who she was anymore, other than the wife of Kobe Bryant."
Subsequently, the couple began to have marital issues.
In 2011, these problems came to a head when the Bryants announced they were divorcing.
As reported by CNN, Vanessa cited "irreconcilable differences" as grounds for divorce.
The split was allegedly exacerbated by Kobe's numerous rumored infidelities, including claims
that the NBA star was cheating with Playboy model Jessica Burciaga.
However, E! News later reported that the rumors were unsubstantiated.
Additionally, he was linked to Carla DiBello, a pal of Kim Kardashian — though she denied
being more than friends with the Lakers player — and actor Sanaa Lathan, according to Daily News.
At the time of the split, TMZ revealed that Vanessa was at the end of her rope with Kobe
after supposedly discovering that he'd cheated with multiple women.
According to a separate TMZ report, she was told of the affairs by other basketball players'
wives, who warned her to cut ties with her apparently adulterous hubby.
Tellingly, Vanessa once condemned the normalization of cheating among basketball players.
However, the divorce was called off, with Vanessa telling The Cut that they'd decided
to work on their marriage.
On January 26th 2020, Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a helicopter
crash in Calabasas, California.
The seven others who were on board — including the pilot — also lost their lives.
As The New York Times reports, Vanessa Bryant found out there had been an accident, but
was wrongly informed there were five survivors.
She assumed that her loved ones were among those five.
Then, she noticed that "RIP Kobe" was trending on social media.
She revealed:
"I was holding onto my phone, because obviously I was trying to call my husband back, and
all these notifications started popping up on my phone, saying, 'RIP Kobe'."
This was before she had any indication whatsoever that her husband, let alone her daughter, was dead.
Heading to the sheriff's department, she demanded to know what had happened, with officers being
evasive until she was finally told the harrowing truth.
Becoming a widow was an enormous tragedy for Vanessa, but losing her adolescent daughter
as well was too much to bear.
She wrote on Instagram:
"It's like I'm trying to process Kobe being gone but my body refuses to accept my Gigi
will never come back to me [...] Why should I be able to wake up another day when my baby
girl isn't being able to have that opportunity?"
Grieving for her husband and daughter, Vanessa Bryant was struck with yet another blow when
her own mom turned on her less than a year after Kobe and Gianna's deaths.
At a time when she needed her mother the most, she was let down.
As the BBC reports, Sofia Laine claimed that she was owed $5 million in child care costs
for looking after her grandchildren.
Calling herself Vanessa's "longtime personal assistant and nanny," Laine said that her
late son-in-law promised she would always be financially taken care of for her domestic
duties, something which her daughter had apparently failed to fulfill.
Accordingly, Laine was slammed for targeting her daughter at her most vulnerable.
Journalist Yashar Ali tweeted his support for Vanessa, arguing:
"What Vanessa Bryant's mom is doing to her and her daughters in the worst year of their
life is so repulsive."
In documents obtained by Us Weekly, Vanessa refuted claims that Laine's duties amounted
to anything more than what was expected of a mother supporting her grieving daughter
and grandchildren.
"[She's] continuing to try and find ways to extort a financial windfall from our family.
She was a grandmother who was supported by me and her son-in-law at my request.
She now wants to back-charge me $96 per hour for supposedly working 12 hours a day for
18 years for watching her grandchildren."
In August 2021, the lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount, according to ET.
In the wake of losing Kobe and Gianna, Vanessa Bryant sought comfort through her dogs.
Her older dog, a Labrador named Crucio, offered his unconditional love during her darkest hours.
On Instagram, she shared a poignant video of Crucio licking away her tears.
Not long after losing her husband and daughter, Bryant endured further grief.
Crucio died in 2022.
She wrote on Instagram:
"We love you, Crucio.
Thank you for everything sweet boy.
Thank you for watching over us.
We're going to miss you."
The post was accompanied by a carousel of the pup, including pics of him cuddling her daughters.
According to People, numerous celeb pals offered their condolences following his death, including
Lily Collins and Kris Jenner.
Vanessa's eldest daughter, Natalia, also penned a poignant tribute to the late pup, noting
that he was, quote, "the most handsome, loving, selfless and brave dog" she had ever encountered.
She wrote:
"I truly have no words except for the fact that Crucio was the best dog I could have
ever asked for."
She shared a photo of the late Labrador laying down peacefully with medical tubes attached
to his paw, suggesting that Crucio was put to sleep with his loving humans by his side.
Weeks after the deaths of Kobe and Gianna, Vanessa Bryant sued the helicopter companies
for wrongful death, according to USA Today.
Although the suit was settled in 2021, her legal woes were sadly far from over.
In the aftermath of her dual loss, Vanessa's greatest fear was that graphic photos of Kobe
and Gianna's remains would be leaked.
L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured her that the crash site was secured; however,
it was reported that deputies took photos of the victims' remains and had allegedly
begun sharing the images, which devastated Vanessa.
Her attorney called the dissemination of photos, quote, "an unspeakable violation of human decency."
"These families of the victims have suffered enough already to have any action of our deputies
compile their suffering – that, that breaks my heart."
Accordingly, Vanessa sued Los Angeles County, alleging lack of accountability.
She stated in her deposition, which was published by The New York Times:
"I do not want my little girls or I to ever have to see their remains in that matter.
Nor do I think it's right that the photographs were taken in the first place [...] But now
to live the rest of my life having to fear those photographs surfacing is something that
I have to deal with every single day."
The county ordered Vanessa to undergo a psychiatric assessment to determine whether her emotional
distress was caused by the images or by the tragedy itself.