How Did Vanessa Bryant Really Find Out About Kobe Bryant's Death?

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant was tragically killed in a helicopter crash in January 2020, leaving behind a grieving wife and three daughters. His 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant was also aboard the helicopter and died along with seven other passengers. Details about the accident emerged in February 2020, alleging that pilot Ara Zobayan had violated safety guidelines by flying in dangerous conditions, according to the Daily Mail. "It was an issue of judgement, decision making, that led to this," NTSB Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt said at a press conference, referencing Zobayan's choice to fly in "cloudy conditions with low visibility."

Tributes and condolences poured in for Kobe's widow, Vanessa Bryant, who later shared special memories of her late husband at his memorial service. In April, Vanessa commemorated what would have been the pair's 20th wedding anniversary on Instagram. "Happy Anniversary, baby. I love you. 20 years," she wrote, alongside a photo of the pair kissing on their wedding day. She followed it up with a video montage that featured a voiceover from Kobe and paid tribute to the couple's everlasting love. "With my wife, Vanessa... it's fun," Kobe said. "We have a good time together. I love her tremendously. We're best friends too. It's a blessing." 

Now, as the second anniversary of Kobe's death looms, more information about the tragedy continues to come out, including how Vanessa found out that her husband and daughter had died.

Following the January 2020 helicopter crash, Vanessa Bryant sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for "negligence, invasion of privacy, and a 14th Amendment violation," according to Vanity Fair. The lawsuit claimed first responders took and shared unauthorized photos of human remains in the wreckage. In October, Vanessa gave an emotional deposition via Zoom, during which she shared that her assistant had informed her "there was an accident and that there were five survivors," per Us Weekly. In a transcript obtained by The New York Times, Vanessa asked whether Kobe and Gianna were safe, and picked up her phone to call her husband, and then her mom. 

"As soon as I was on the phone with my mom, I was holding onto my phone, because obviously I was trying to call my husband back, and all these notifications started popping up on my phone, saying, 'RIP Kobe. RIP Kobe. RIP Kobe,'" she revealed (via the New York Times).

Vanessa also described how she had attempted to calm her oldest daughter Natalia. "I picked [Natalia] up and I told her that Daddy and Gigi were in an accident. Not to worry. 'I'm sure they're fine because there's five survivors,'" she said in the deposition. It was not until she had driven to the police station that Vanessa officially learned her husband and daughter had died. In light of this new information, there's no doubt fans are sending the entire Bryant family light and love.