Celebs Rally Around Vanessa After Statement on Kobe and Gianna’s Deaths
Still in mourning. Ellen DeGeneres, La La Anthony and more stars rallied around Vanessa Bryant after she spoke out about the deaths of husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna.
Vanessa, 37, broke her silence on Wednesday, January 29, three days after Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time,” the former model captioned a family photo on Wednesday via Instagram. “Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. 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.”
Vanessa and Kobe, who wed in 2001, shared four daughters: Natalia, 17, Gianna, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months. The NBA legend and their teenager daughter were two of the nine victims in Sunday’s tragic accident.
“We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately. There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now,” Vanessa wrote. “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. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.”
The former model added that her and her three daughters don’t know what their “lives hold beyond today.”
“It’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way,” Vanessa wrote. “Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever. Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality.”
She concluded the message by announcing a newly created fund that will provide resources to the families of the victims.
“To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org,” Vanessa explained. “To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org. Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family ❤️.”
Scroll through to read the messages of support from athletes, musicians and more:
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