Vanessa Bryant Breaks Silence On Loss Of Kobe And Gigi

The family of Kobe and Gianna "Gigi" Bryant received heartbreaking news on January 26th, 2020, when they learned the father and daughter had perished in a helicopter accident in Calabasas, California alongside seven others. Kobe and Gigi were reportedly on their way to a basketball game at the Lakers legend's Mamba Sports Academy when the chopper crashed into a hillside. Of course, we can't even begin to imagine what Gigi's mother Vanessa Bryant - who married Kobe in 2001 - felt when she heard the tragic news. However, on January 29th, the mom-of-four broke her silence to shed some light on how she has been coping with this immeasurable loss. Vanessa is under no obligation to share what she's feeling at the moment, but she was apparently moved to speak out thanks to the incredible support she has received from the world. She wrote on Instagram, in part, "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." Vanessa, who admitted she's "completely devastated by the sudden loss," also took a moment to acknowledge the other families affected by the crash, writing, "We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately." The California native directed fans to the MambaOnThree Fund, an effort that will "help support the other families affected by this tragedy." Vanessa said she can't imagine what her family's life will look like "beyond today," though she takes "comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved." She concluded her message by vowing to "keep pushing" because Kobe and her "baby girl" Gigi are "shining" on them to "light the way." Shortly after the news broke, Vanessa made her Instagram account private. A few hours before she broke her silence on the tragic accident, in addition to setting her account back to public, she also paid tribute to the father-daughter duo. Followers noticed that Vanessa changed her profile picture to a photo of her late husband and daughter embracing each other. Gigi has her hand on her father's shoulder as the NBA legend looks lovingly down at her. In light of the circumstances, the sweet father-daughter moment is absolutely heartbreaking. According to TMZ, the photograph was taken during the NBA All-Star Game in Toronto in 2016. While Vanessa took to Instagram to mourn the loss of her husband and daughter, Kobe Bryant's sister, Sharia Washington, paid tribute to the beloved athlete and Gianna via Facebook on January 27th. Although it appears that her Facebook account has since been deleted, Washington initially updated her cover photo to a collage of photos featuring Bryant and Gianna. At the time of the post, Washington had also changed her profile picture to reflect her state of grief - replacing a photo with a black circle. And on the day of the heartbreaking helicopter crash, the husband of Christina Mauser, spoke out about losing his wife, who was an assistant coach at the Mamba Sports Academy and was on the helicopter with Kobe and Gigi. Matt Hauser posted a tribute to his late wife on his Facebook account, writing, "My kids and I are devastated. We lost our beautiful wife and mom today in a helicopter crash. Please respect our privacy. Thank you for all the well wishes they mean so much." In a CNN interview with Anderson Cooper just days after the crash, Mauser talked about how he and his three young children have been coping. Our thoughts are with all of the families involved during this difficult time. For more information on how to donate to the MambaOnThree fund, which was established to help the families of the lesser-known victims of the crash, visit mambaonthree.org. Read full article: https://www.nickiswift.com/185922/vanessa-bryant-breaks-silence-on-loss-of-kobe-bryant-and-daughter-gigi/ #KobeAndGigi #VanessaBryant