The Real Reason Vanessa Bryant Lives 'In Fear'

In January of 2020, Vanessa Bryant received the devastating news that her husband, NBA star and Los Angeles Lakers legend, Kobe Bryant, and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, were killed in a helicopter crash on the way to a basketball game. After the news of the crash broke, people all over the world flooded social media with well wishes and prayers for the families of the victims. 

"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," Vanessa wrote on Instagram. "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." Bryant has also made sure to keep Kobe and Gianna's memories alive by posting on their birthdays, anniversaries, other special occasions.

In the aftermath, the mother of four has been focusing on her three girls, and she's also been surrounding herself with good friends like Ciara and Candace Parker. But no matter what she does, the pain is still there, and she lives in a constant state of "fear" because of the actions of a few people.

The last few years have been difficult for Vanessa Bryant and her three girls, and there are still a lot of worries she deals with on a daily basis. After learning that some first responders allegedly snapped photos of the crash scene, Bryant filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County on the claim of "invasion of privacy." The court filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but Bryant pleaded her case further in new statements released in December, per The Washington Post.

"I will never be able to shake the anguish from knowing that the officials who are supposed to keep us safe treated Kobe and Gianna with such callous disrespect," Bryant stated in the six-page document. She added, "For the rest of my life, one of two things will happen: either close-up photos of my husband's and daughter's bodies will go viral online, or I will continue to live in fear of that happening."

Bryant also stated that she has seen at least one of the leaked photos, and she's "been tormented with thoughts of who took it." The photographs in question were found on at least 28 devices. How horrendously sad.