Vanessa Bryant Files To Add Youngest Daughter To Kobe Bryant's Trust

Kobe Bryant's widow, Vanessa Bryant, has dealt with a lot since the tragic passing of her husband and the couple's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. After the pair were lost in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, Vanessa has been left to not only grieve, but to also take care of her three surviving daughters, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. For that reason, Vanessa is now asking a judge to change the trust that Kobe left behind in order to include their youngest child, 9-month-old Capri Bryant.

According to TMZ, Kobe's trust was originally created in 2003 and had been updated over the years to include the NBA legend's three other daughters. However, the latest version was signed in 2017, which was before the birth of Capri on June 20, 2019. That's why Vanessa "has filed legal [documents] to protect all of her children" and is "asking a judge to amend Kobe's trust so she can provide for their youngest daughter," per TMZ. But what exactly does that mean?

TMZ reports that Kobe Bryant initially created the trust back in the early 2000s in order to provide for Vanessa Bryant and all of his children, which is something that was apparently made clear in the the trust document. Given the terms outlined in the document, the outlet believes that the judge overseeing Vanessa's request to include their youngest daughter, Capri, in the distribution of the funds will likely agree to the terms.

When the trust is amended, Vanessa and all three of her surviving daughters will be able to "draw from the principal and income in the trust." However, that's just "during Vanessa's lifetime." The second part of the trust stipulates that when Vanessa passes away, the girls will get whatever money is still there and will likely split it equally among them. Considering how much Kobe was worth at the time of his death, it seems like Vanessa and her daughters will be taken care of for a very long time.

Thanks to the fact that Kobe Bryant was one of the top players in the NBA during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, the athlete made a vast fortune, which is something that he's now passed on to his wife, Vanessa Bryant, and his three surviving daughters.

Before he retired in 2016, Kobe brought in $323 million from his NBA salary alone. According to Celebrity Net Worth, his "career earnings are the second-most earned by anyone in the NBA." That being said, playing ball wasn't the only way the athlete made his millions. Frankly, he made even more off the court than he did while shooting free throws. The Lakers legend made "an estimated $350 million from endorsements." Although he surely spent a fair share of that over the years on things like the stunning home he shared with his family, he was still worth $600 million at the time of his death.

While Vanessa and the girls will obviously be taken care of thanks to the money in Kobe's trust, that's not the only thing they inherited from the beloved man who was lost too soon.

While Kobe Bryant's trust will help sustain Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka, and (hopefully) Capri, his wife and children will work to sustain and protect Kobe's legacy. On Feb. 13, 2020, the basketball star's widow announced that Kobe's Mamba Sports Foundation would continue to do its charitable work. However, she revealed that there would be one significant change going forward. "Because there is no #24 without #2, we have updated the Mamba Sports Foundation to now be called the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation," Vanessa wrote on Instagram, referring to the numbers that both Kobe and Gigi, who was also a basketball player, wore while on the court.

"Our mission remains the same — and stronger than ever — to provide opportunities to young people through sports," Vanessa continued. "Thank you all for the outpouring of support and your kind donations to date as we carry forth Kobe and Gigi's legacy. We hope to empower young athletes in a world they left us all to help shape." Kobe would be proud.

Over on the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation website, the organization notes that the endeavor "exists to further Kobe and Gianna Bryant's legacy through charitable endeavors in sports," which is something that you can donate to if you wish to help honor Kobe's memory and help others attempt to reach the heights that he did during his legendary career.