Vanessa Bryant said she ‘lives in fear’ that graphic photos of her husband Kobe and their daughter Gianna’s remains will ‘pop up’ on social media.
On Friday (19 August), Bryant delivered a heart-wrenching testimony to a Federal Court in support of her lawsuit against Los Angeles County, who she is suing over allegations the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department shared photos of the victims of 2020’s helicopter crash.
Taking to the stand, Bryant – who also shares Capri, three, Bianka, five, and Natalia, 19, with Kobe – said: “I want to remember my husband and my daughter the way that they were.”
The doting mum added: “I don't ever want to see these photographs. I have three little girls!"
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According to People, Bryant, 40, told the court that on the morning of the accident she visited the Lost Hills Sheriff Station and asked Sheriff Alex Villanueva to make sure the Calabasas crash site was protected from the paparazzi.
She told Villanueva: “If you can't bring my babies back, can you please secure the area?"
Soon after the accident, allegations that first responders had shared crash site photos first came to light in the Los Angeles Times.
Bryant said: “I trusted them not to do these things,” adding that the first responders who allegedly took photos of Gianna ‘took advantage that her daddy wasn't there to protect her’, adding: “He was at the morgue.”
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While Kobe’s body was found on the day of the crash, Gianna’s wasn’t recovered until the day after, when it was found in a ravine.
Bryant also shared heart-breaking details about the day of the crash, explaining she first knew something was wrong when Kate, the family’s assistant, repeatedly knocked on the door at 11.30am that morning.
Once inside, Kate asked where the children were, before telling Bryant that her husband’s helicopter had crashed.
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Explaining her state of mind when she arrived at the Lost Hills Sheriff Station near the crash site, Bryant – who was taken into a small room at the back of the station – said: “I walked in and asked where they were. I was repeatedly asking. They just stared at me. 'Where are they? Where are they?'"
She also told the court: “I never had a panic attack before this. I don't ever want to see my babies in that way."
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Topics: Kobe Bryant, Celebrity, US News