Vanessa Bryant Settles $28.9 Million Lawsuit Over Kobe’s Crash Site Photos
Vanessa Bryant settled her lawsuit with Los Angeles County for $28.85 million over photos of the crash site that deputies shared of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed her husband…
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 13: Honoree Vanessa Bryant accepts the Baby2Baby Giving Tree Award onstage during the Baby2Baby 10-Year Gala presented by Paul Mitchell on November 13, 2021 in West Hollywood, California.
(Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Baby2Baby)Vanessa Bryant settled her lawsuit with Los Angeles County for $28.85 million over photos of the crash site that deputies shared of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed her husband Kobe. Bryant, their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna; and seven others.
"Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant's courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct," Luis Li, Vanessa Bryant's attorney, said in a statement per ESPN. "She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice."
The $28.9 million includes the $15 million Vanessa was awarded back in August after a trial in federal court. Co-plaintiff Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter were also killed in the crash, received a $19.95 million settlement.
Mira Hashmall, the lead lawyer who represented Los Angeles County in the case, said that the settlement was "fair and reasonable." She added that it "resolves all outstanding issues related to pending legal claims in state court, future claims by the Bryant children, and other costs, with each party responsible for its respective attorneys' fees."
The photos of the crash site mainly were shared among employees of the Los Angeles County sheriff's and fire departments.
Kobe Bryant was traveling with their daughter Gianna and seven others to his Mamba Sports Academy in Ventura County when their helicopter crashed in the hills of Calabasas on January 26, 2020. All nine people were killed. The National Transportation Safety Board in 2021 primarily blamed pilot error for the crash.
Kobe Bryant was a force to be reckoned with on and off the court. The proud girl dad loved his family even more than the game of basketball. His top-scoring game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 where he scored 81 points is only one of the highlights of his 20-year long career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant went on to win an Oscar, he worked on community housing initiatives with his wife Vanessa Bryant, and he coached his daughter Gianna's basketball team. A devoted husband, father, and ballplayer, the world mourned when learning of his tragic passing with his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.
Here are 10 memorable quotes from the late Kobe Bryant whose memory lives on through his legacy.
10.
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)"Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise." -Kobe Bryant
9.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)"Winning takes precedence over all. There's no gray area. No almosts."
8.
(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)"I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot."
7.
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)"People just don't understand how obsessed I am with winning."
6.
(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)"If you do not believe in yourself no one will do it for you."
5.
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)"Not even in my dreams. That was something that just happened. It's tough to explain. It's just one of those things." — when he scored 81 points in a game
4.
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)"I can't relate to lazy people. We don't speak the same language. I don't understand you. I don't want to understand you."
3.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)"Boos don't block dunks."
2.
(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)"The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do."
1.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)“I want to make sure the days that I’m away from them are days that I absolutely have to be. I’d rather be with them than doing anything else.”
