On Wednesday, January 29, Vanessa Bryant released
a statement on her Instagram, following the deaths of her husband, Kobe Bryant
and her 13-year-old daughter Gianna. They and seven others perished in a
helicopter crash on Sunday, January 26.
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of
people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time,” the
37-year-old wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of herself, Kobe and their
daughters. “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 added, “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. 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.”
“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,” the mother of four continued.
“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.”
She ended her
statement calling on fans to donate to a newly created fund that would support
the families of the victims.
“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,”
she shared via social media. “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 and Vanessa met in 1999 and got engaged after
six months of dating. They tied the knot in April 2001. The pair shared four
daughters: Natalia - 17, late Gianna - 13, Bianka - 3, and Capri - 7
months. Kobe joined the NBA in 1996 and played his entire 20-year career with
the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant will forever be remembered as one of the greatest
basketball players of all time.
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