The Real Reason Vanessa Bryant Kicked Her Mom Out Of Her House

When NBA legend Kobe Bryant passed away in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other passengers, fans stepped up in support of the basketball player's wife Vanessa Bryant. As Kobe's longtime partner and the mother of his four daughters, her pain was evident through both her immediate silence and her eventual eulogy, which she delivered during Kobe's emotional memorial in Los Angeles.

In the days following the crash, Vanessa told her Instagram followers that she was "reluctant to put [her] feelings into words" and that her "brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone." The time was no doubt a challenging one for Vanessa, who is raising her other daughters — Natalia, Bianka, and Capri — without her life partner. However, one source told People that, while Vanessa was "exhausted" after Kobe's memorial, "she is never alone."

"There is always someone with her: family, friends, people who really care for her," the source said, adding that Vanessa "has times of weakness like you would expect." That family no doubt included Vanessa's mother Sofia Laine, who shocked fans on Sept. 21, 2020, when she accused her daughter of kicking her out of the home Kobe and Vanessa once shared.

Based upon previews of Sofia Laine's sit-down interview on Univision's El Gorda y La Flaca, interviewer Dave Valadez questioned Laine over Vanessa Bryant's reported decision to tow Laine's car. That's when Laine revealed how the events unfolded. "She told me, 'I need you to get out of this house,'" Laine cried. "She also told me that she wanted her car and she wants it now."

This comes as a surprise, especially considering a source close to the matter told Us Weekly that Laine was emotionally supportive of Vanessa and her daughters after Kobe's passing. At the time, the source claimed Vanessa "is incredibly close to her mom and her mom has been her rock throughout the past few weeks." While explaining Laine's importance in Vanessa's life, the source added, "Her mom is always with her and the girls and she's been keeping Vanessa strong and she's the weight of her support system."

And, although recovery was undoubtedly an uphill battle, the source said, "Vanessa takes solace in the support of her mom and her sister [Sophie Laine], who are committed to seeing her through this." However, Vanessa's recent actions brings those claims into question, leaving us wondering about the truth behind why Vanessa kicked her mom to the curb.

According to Vanessa Bryant's reported statement to Univision (per the Daily Telegraph), her mother Sofia Laine's take on the situation is hardly what it seems. "My husband and daughter passed away unexpectedly, and yet my mother had the audacity to do a television interview speaking negatively of me while shedding tears for a car and a house that were not in her name," she reportedly wrote to the television program, which shared her words on-air. "She has removed all her diamond jewelry, emptied the apartment I provided, and put away the furniture to make it look like she doesn't have my support." 

However, Vanessa said that's not the case. "My husband and I have supported her financially for the past 20 years, and continue to do so, in addition to her monthly alimony," she continued, adding that Laine's reported emotional support following the crash was a hoax. "Contrary to previous reports, she has not been physically present or emotionally supportive of my daughters and me after my husband and daughter passed away." Vanessa seems torn about it all, saying that "Now I see what is most important to my mother and it's more than painful. I hope that everything that is coming out about our personal relationship ends here."

Vanessa Bryant's apparent rift with her mother Sofia Laine came as a shock because Kobe Bryant was reportedly closer with Laine than his own mother, with whom he had a tense relationship. Laine was last pictured alongside Kobe, Vanessa, and their daughters as the family gathered around the dinner table for Thanksgiving in November 2019. The photo was posted on Kobe's Instagram Story (via the Daily Mail), which he captioned, "Thankful for my family."

Laine was also seen supporting Kobe after his last basketball game in 2015, when she was seen standing outside his locker room. Previous reports suggest Laine was supportive of Kobe and Vanessa's marriage and was there for its ups and downs, while Kobe's own parents resisted the union. Laine was also reportedly an overprotective mother, raising Vanessa and her sister on her own for some time, which makes their falling out all the more curious. And, while both parties have now offered their version of the events that transpired, this probably won't be the last fans hear from Vanessa or Laine. But, considering the extensive heartbreak Vanessa has had to endure in 2020, we hope that she and her mother can come to some sort of truce before the situation gets even uglier.