Vanessa Bryant is speaking up for the first time on social media after the sudden death of her husband and daughter, Kobe Bryant and Gianna.
In a lengthy Instagram post caption beneath her family photo, Vanessa thanks everyone who have being offering a word of prayer for her remaining family in the wake of their grief. She began by saying, “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. 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.”
The post continues with an extended heartfelt condolence to the families of the other seven passengers who got killed in the crash as well, “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. 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.”
She states further towards the end, “I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and 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. 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.”
Vanessa also took time to announce in her post that, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by the tragedy.
Kobe and Vanessa stayed married for nearly 19 years before his death on Sunday, January 26. The Academy Awards, slated for February 9, has announced a tribute segment for the late NBA player, who won an Oscar in 2018 for best animated short.
