Vanessa Bryant has paid her remaining claims against Los Angeles County for misusing photos from the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter, Gianna Bryant, for nearly $30 million.
Last August, a jury awarded Vanessa Bryant $15 million for her federal claims. The settlement registered today includes that figure and addresses state claims of invasion of privacy.
Bryant also added her two youngest daughters – Capri and Bianka – to the deal to finalize the settlement.
“Today marks the successful culmination of Ms. Bryant’s courageous fight to hold accountable those guilty of this grotesque behavior,” said Luis Li, Bryant’s attorney.
“She fought for her husband, her daughter and everyone in the community whose deceased family was treated with the same disrespect.
“We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice.”
Vanessa Bryant was awarded a nearly $30 million settlement Tuesday night by LA County in the wake of inappropriate photos circulating of the crash that killed her husband and daughter
LA County Fire and Sheriff officials investigate the scene of the January 2020 crash
Li has previously said that Bryant would donate the proceeds from the lawsuit to her Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which honors her late husband and daughter.
Bryant has said she wanted the money to “shine a light on Kobe and Gigi’s legacy.”
On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna Bryant, 13, were in a helicopter with seven other people. The helicopter crashed in foggy conditions outside LA, killing all on board.
Shortly after the deaths of her family members, Vanessa Bryant learned that some employees of the county’s fire department and sheriff’s department had shared graphic photos of human remains from the crash.
Eight months later, she sued the county for negligence and invasion of privacy and won at trial last August, when a jury awarded her the multi-million dollar amount.
“With this settlement, all lawsuits related to the tragic helicopter crash in January 2020 are now closed,” said the county’s chief attorney, Mira Hashmall.
“We hope Mrs. Bryant and her children continue to heal from their loss.”
Kobe Bryant, who starred for the Los Angeles Lakers for two decades before retiring in 2016, was on his way to coach his teenage daughter’s basketball team at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, California on the day of the crash.
An inspection of the wreckage and flight records indicated that the pilot, Ara Zobayan, became disoriented in the clouds and crashed into a hill near Calabasas, killing all nine on board.
Then-Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva asked the newly widowed Bryant if there was anything he could do for her.
During a statement, Bryant said she asked the sheriff “that no one take pictures of them,” referring to her late husband and daughter.
She said Villanueva assured her she would, to which she said, “No, I want you to get on the phone now and I want you to make sure you secure the area.”
Bryant then testified at trial that she learned from a report in the Los Angeles Times that an LA County deputy showed photographs of the accident at a bar.
“I’m afraid my daughters are on social media and this one is popping up,” she said.
Vanessa Bryant walks hand in hand with daughter Natalia, football star Sydney Leroux, a friend and her attorney Luis Li as they exit court in Downton Los Angeles, CA. Wednesday, August 24, 2022. She previously received $15 million
Kobe and Gianna Bryant, who both died in the helicopter crash along with seven others
The helicopter crashed into a hill near Calabasas after cloudy conditions confused the pilot
Bryant testified at trial that she learned from a report in the Los Angeles Times that a LA County sheriff’s deputy showed photographs of the crash showing human remains in a bar.
County lawyers argued in court that the photos were taken and shared, but said an immediate order to remove them prevented them from going wide.
The photos were reportedly shared primarily between employees of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
County lawyers argued in court that the photos were taken and shared, but said an immediate order to remove them prevented them from going wide.
In August, the jury also awarded $15 million to Chris Chester, who joined the lawsuit because his wife and daughter also died in the crash. The county agreed to pay the Chester family nearly an additional $5 million to settle any future claims.
Two other families settled separately with the county over the photos for $1.25 million each in October 2021.
