The death of former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, back in January of 2020 is among the most tragic recent stories in the sports world.
Kobe and Gianna perished with several others when a helicopter crashed in the Southern California city of Calabasas on January 26, 2020.
Immediately after the accident, photos surfaced of the crash scene. It was an ugly look for Los Angeles County and its sheriff’s department.
Now, three years after the tragic events of that January day, Vanessa Bryant is finally getting some sort of closure.
Kobe’s widow settled with the Los Angeles County on Tuesday for a whopping $28.85 million over photos of the crash that killed her husband and daughter.
“Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct. She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice.”
Vanessa Bryant’s attorney, Luis Li, said in a statement
Co-plaintiff Chris Chester, who lost his wife and daughter in the accident, also settled with the county for $19.95 million.
While this won’t bring back any of the souls who perished on that fateful Sunday, it can provide some closure. The attorneys representing Los Angeles County are certainly hoping so.
“We believe the settlement approved by the Board in the Bryant case is fair and reasonable. The $28,850,000 settlement includes the verdict awarded by the federal jury in August 2022, and further resolves all outstanding issues related to pending legal claims in state court, future claims by the Bryant children, and other costs, with each party responsible for its respective attorneys’ fees,”
County attorney Mira Hashmall said in a statement
Several months after Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant were among nine that died in the accident, Vanessa filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County claiming she suffered from emotional distress. In august of 2022, a jury awarded Vanessa Bryant $16 million for invasion of privacy.
As for Kobe Bryant, he’s still considered one of the greatest players in modern NBA history. The former first-round pick and Philadelphia native earned 18 All-Star appearances and won five NBA titles before calling it quits following the 2015-16 season.
Unfortunately, Bryant was not able to enjoy his post-basketball career as a family man for too long before he died at the young age of 41.