The following article includes mentions of rape and sexual assault.
In the early 2000s, no star in the NBA was bigger than Kobe Bryant.
Although we’ve seen glimpsesinside Kobe’s relationship with Vanessaover the years, Vanessa herself was rarely heard from.
Despite the fortune she shared with her husband, Vanessa Bryant’s life wasn’t always glitz and glamour.
While attending high school, trouble began brewing at home due to financial issues.
Vanessa’s mother was laid off, and a back injury prevented her from finding a new job.
Their credit card debt and car loans were so steep that her parents were forced to file for bankruptcy.
The official filing happened just days after Vanessa got engaged to Kobe Bryant in 2000.
“And my daughter’s marrying Kobe Bryant.”
Her marriage to Kobe meant things changed financially for her and her parents.
However, according to Vanessa, the lavish lifestyle caused a strain on her parents' marriage.
Despite the two hitting it off quickly, their love story didn’t have many fans at first.
The Bryants mostly disapproved because Vanessa was Latina.
Despite both sets of parents disapproving and refusing to attend,Vanessa and Kobe’s weddinghappened in 2001.
Her husband, Kobe Bryant, was in Colorado for a knee operation when he checked into a hotel.
Kobe was facing life in prison, but the case never made it to trial.
Instead, the accuser agreed to drop the charges if Kobe publicly apologized.
Kobe’s reputation still took a massive hit and Vanessa was thrust into a media spectacle.
Vanessa sat quietly beside him with a stone-cold expression on her face that was later spoofed bySaturday Night Live.
Through the media scrutiny and the legal troubles, Vanessa stood by her husband.
While publicly she and Kobe were a united front, privately Vanessa was struggling.
That year, she suffered a miscarriage from an ectopic pregnancy.
The reality is it happened because of me… that’s something I have to deal with.
Something I gotta carry forever."
In 2006, the couple were overjoyed when they welcomed their second daughter, Gianna Bryant.
While delivering her eulogy in 2020, Vanessa pointed out the similarities that she also shared with her daughter.
“Her smile took up her entire face, like mine.
Kobe always said she was me.
She had my fire, my personality, and sarcasm,” she shared (viaNBC News).
However, by 2011, Vanessa reportedly reached her breaking point.
Initial reports pointed at Playboy model Jessica Burciaga as the mystery woman butE!
Newsconfirmed that the rumors were false.
Burciaga publicly denied the rumors herself and even slammed the blogs for dragging her into the divorce drama.
“People can actually make up stories online about you and people you don’t even know.
Great,” she tweeted.
Nine months after Vanessa’s divorce filing, the couple called the divorce off.
In a rare interview withThe Cut, she confirmed that the two decided to work on their marriage.
By January 2013, Vanessa announced via Instagram that the two were back on.
“We are pleased to announce that we have reconciled,” she wrote (viaUs Weekly).
“We are looking forward to our future together.”
Reports of Kobe possibly having to give up half his fortune upset his fans.
Many accused Vanessa of being a gold digger.
He defended his wife on Twitter writing, “No, she wasn’t [in the gym].
She was busy raising our kids,” (via theLos Angeles Times).
Unfortunately, there were zero survivors.
Due to conflicting media reports, the assistant wrongfully informed Vanessa that there were five survivors.
RIP Kobe," she explained (via theNew York Times).
By then Vanessa hadn’t spoken to authorities yet.
Days later Vanessa addressed the public with an Instagram post paying tribute to her husband and daughter.
“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,” shecaptioneda family photo.
kindly secure the area," she recounted in her 2021 deposition (per theNew York Times).
She did not want the graphic photos to be leaked online for her daughters to see one day.
She pleaded with law enforcement to secure the area and was assured that the crash site was secured.
Vanessa layer sued the Los Angeles County, alleging invasion of privacy and emotional distress.
Laine’s lawsuit drew criticism from the public with many finding it insensitive.
In a statement toPeople, Vanessa called the lawsuit an extortion attempt.
She claimed that Laine only occasionally babysat her two eldest daughters.
Vanessa also addressed Laine’s claims that Kobe promised to take care of her financially.
“My husband never promised my mother anything,” said Vanessa.
Her beloved family dog, Crucio, had passed away.
A month before his death, Vanessa shared a heartwarming video onInstagramof Crucio licking away her tears.
“We love you, Crucio.
Thank you for everything sweet boy,” she wrote.
“Thank you for watching over us.
We’re going to miss you.”
Kobe and Vanessa’s eldest daughter, Natalia, shared her own tribute post.
“To the most handsome, loving, selfless and brave dog you will forever be missed.”
However, after Kobe’s passing, Vanessa began addressing the media more frequently.
“We do NOT want to see it.
Our year has been traumatic enough,” Vanessa wrote (viaThe U.S. Sun).
When news first broke of his passing, Wood tweeted, ‘What has happened is tragic.
I am heartbroken for Kobe’s family.
He was a sports hero.
He was also a rapist" (viaDaily Mail).
Vanessa called the tweet defamatory and disturbing.
Days later, she addressed rapper Meek Mill’s track “Don’t Worry (RIP Kobe).”
