Vanessa Bryant Awarded $29 Million Settlement Over Kobe Bryant Crash Site Photos That Were Shared By LA County Employees

On January 26, 2020, legendary basketball player Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash with eight others on board, including his daughter Gianna. 1,852 pages of factual evidence were collected during an investigation, including emails, texts, photos, interview transcripts, video footage, and meteorological reports. A former helicopter pilot, Jack Cress, says, "the low-lying stratus layer" and the "relatively high-rising terrain" was a common and "deadly combination." The pilot operating the helicopter got 1,600 feet above ground before descending rapidly and crashing into the hills. Federal safety officials point to pilot error as the reason for the crash. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife and the mother of 13-year-old Gianna, was of course devastated by the tragedy. But things were made even worse when she learned that photos from the crash site were being circulated by Los Angeles County sheriff's and fire departments.

Vanessa Bryant Awarded $29 Million Settlement over Kobe Bryant Crash Site Photos That Were Shared by LA County Employees

Vanessa has been in a legal battle for quite some time about various photos from the crash site that were taken by authorities and circulated by Los Angeles County employees in the sheriff's and fire departments. The pictures were shared among employees and even by some who were playing video games and attending an awards banquet. Some spouses and a bartender at one of these events were reportedly shown the pictures by a deputy who was at a bar drinking.

There was a trial in August 2022 that lasted nearly two weeks, and Vanessa testified that the pictures caused her panic attacks and exponentially increased her grief over the already horrific enough tragedy. Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter were also killed in the same crash, received $20 million in the settlement as well.

"Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant's courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct," Vanessa Bryant's attorney Luis Li said in a statement. "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."

Los Angeles County attorney Mira Hashmall called the settlement "fair and reasonable" and claimed that it "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."

Vanessa has promised to donate the money to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a positive impact for underserved male and female athletes. However, there is some criticism online of Vanessa's legal action; people are claiming that she is attempting to profit from Kobe's death, and others are unhappy about the idea of Vanessa profiting off taxpayer money. Others are defending Vanessa and pointing out the fact that if Kobe were not the famous figure he was, the photos would have never been taken or shared by LA County employees.