Vanessa Bryant ‘Completely Devastated By The Sudden Loss’ After Kobe & Gigi Die In Helicopter Crash
Jan. 30 2020, Updated 4:13 a.m. ET
Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, said she is "completely devastated" about losing her husband and their daughter, Gianna, in the deadly helicopter crash.
The Laker’s legend and his 13-year-old daughter were fondly remembered by Vanessa in an Instagram post late Wednesday evening.
“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,” Vanessa wrote on her Instagram page, which had grown to 5.7 million followers on January 29.
“We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately,” she said about the four other families who lost relatives when the helicopter crashed into a mountainside in Calabasas, Calif. on Sunday, January 26.
“There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now,” the grieving mom wrote.
“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.”
Looking to the future, Vanessa wrote, “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.”
She told her followers that she cherished their kind words.
“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.”
Along with her husband and daughter, seven other people were killed in the crash.
“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.”
She changed her profile picture earlier in the day to one of Kobe hugging Gianna from the 2016 All- Stars Game in Toronto and posted the loving caption with a photo of Kobe, Vanessa, Gianna and their three other daughters.
“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 ❤️,” she wrote.