Kobe Bryant’s Wife Vanessa Breaks Silence To Launch Fund For Mourning Families

vanessabryant/Instagram

Vanessa Bryant, the wife of Kobe Bryant, has spoken out for the first time following the deaths of her husband and daughter, to launch a fund for the families of all those killed in the helicopter crash.

Kobe, 41, and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna ‘Gigi’ Bryant lost their lives in the January 25 crash in Calabasas, California, alongside seven other individuals.

Vanessa has now taken to Instagram to thank the ‘millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time’, and to announce the launch of the MambaOnThree Fund.

PA

Sharing a photograph of her family prior to the tragedy, Vanessa wrote:

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.

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.

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She continued:

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. 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.

Vanessa also announced the launch of the MambaOnThree Fund, a fundraising initiative established by the Mamba Sports Foundation to support the other grieving families.

According to the fund’s website:

The MambaOnThree Fund was created to honor Team Mamba’s mantra, ‘Mamba on Three’. It’s with that customary chant for togetherness, sisterhood and the ability to take on every challenge that this Fund was named.

Since its launch, the website has been inundated with people donating to the cause.

So much so, the website momentarily crashed:

Kobe’s friend and former teammate Shaquille O’Neal also announced he will be donating money to the families of the deceased, as well as to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation.

Taking to Instagram, Shaq wrote:

I’ll be dedicating and donating all my proceeds from Friday night’s Fun House to all the families who lost loved one and to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation.

Together we will celebrate all those who lost their lives in Sunday’s tragedy. RIP my brother, my friend and my homie, The Black Mamba. Until we meet again.

Our thoughts are with Vanessa Bryant and her daughters, as well as the families of all those who died in the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter crash.

You can find out more about the MambaOnThree Fund here

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.

Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.