The distraught wife and mother posted a heartfelt message with an adorable photo of the family and thanked people for supporting them during this tough time.
NBA legend Kobe Bryant's sudden death in a chopper crash on January 26, 2020, sent shock waves across the world and his friends, fans, and well-wishers have been inconsolable. It is equally hard to come to terms with the fact that Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, also passed away in the same accident. The father and daughter, along with 7 others, were on their way to a basketball game in Thousand Oaks when the helicopter crashed, killing all nine, including the pilot, on board. Gianna was following in her father's footsteps and was looking at a bright future in basketball.
Condolence and support messages for Bryant's widow, Vanessa, and their three daughters Natalia, Bianka, and Capri have flooded the internet and it will not be wrong to say that Kobe's legacy will not die. With his undying excitement towards life and inspirational words, he has inculcated a bit of his legacy in the hearts of all his fans.
Hollywood celebrities like Ellen and former President Obama also expressed their deep sadness and support for the Bryants.
However, amid all this, Vanessa took her time to stabilize and remained silent. Her silence in itself was a strong statement about her emotional state. But she finally decided to reach out to the supporters and bear her heart out.
She took to Instagram to share a deeply emotional and heartbreaking message about how their lives will never be the same ever. She told fans that they are "devastated" over the loss of her “adoring” husband and their “beautiful, sweet” daughter Gianna, and that they also grieve for the other passengers who lost their lives in the fateful accident.
In the emotional post, she thanked “the millions of people” for their support and love. “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. “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,” she added.
"We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately," she wrote.
She went on to say, "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." She also added that while they do not know what the future holds for them, they want to keep going because they know that Kobe and Gigi are watching over them.
She also made an emotional appeal to fans to allow them privacy so they could mourn and muster the courage to find a new trail. “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,” Vanessa continued.
In such a tough time, Vanessa did not forget to stand with the families of the other deceased passengers and has set up a campaign to help them. She also implored Mamba's fans to support their basketball academy to further Bryant and Gianna's legacy.
"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."
"To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org," she revealed. "Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me."
Our prayers are with Vanessa as she copes with her loss.
References:
https://people.com/sports/kobe-bryant-vanessa-bryant-speaks-out-following-husband-daughters-deaths/
