Vanessa Bryant has finally broken her silence on the tragic loss of her husband Kobe, 41 and daughter Gianna, 13 since they were killed in a helicopter crash last Monday in Calabasas, California.
The NBA legend’s widow has issued a public statement for the first time through a lengthy and emotional post on Instagram. She has earlier changed her Instagram profile picture to a photo of Kobe embracing a young Gianna.
Vanessa feels grateful for “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,” she further wrote.
She also shares the grief with the families of the seven others who died in the fatal crash.
“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,” she continued.
Vanessa said that “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 added.
She also asked the public to “grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality.”
“Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me,” she ended.
Her post also announced that the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up a fund to help support the other families affected by the tragedy.
Along with her Instagram post was a portrait of her family.
