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A recent court deposition outlines how Vanessa Bryant found out her husband, Kobe Bryant, and 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, died in a helicopter crash.
Four months after the January 2020 accident, the NBA icon's wife sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and other agencies for emotional distress, claiming first responders took and shared unauthorized photos of the human remains at the crash site. The county's lawyers maintain the images "were not publicly disseminated." On the morning of Oct. 12, Vanessa gave a deposition for the case in a Zoom video conference. A transcript of her words was filed in court on Friday, Oct. 22, and obtained by E! News.
(Getty Images)
VANESSA BRYANT, FAMILIES REACH SETTLEMENT IN HELICOPTER CRASH THAT KILLED KOBE BRYANT, DAUGHTER
Vanessa testified that on the morning of the crash, around 11:30 a.m., their family assistant knocked on their door and said there was an accident with five survivors and did not know if Kobe and Gianna were OK.
All nine people aboard the helicopter died when the aircraft crashed into a hill in Calabasas, California, amid heavy fog while traveling to a teen basketball tournament at Kobe's Mamba Sports Academy near Thousand Oaks. TMZ broke the news of the NBA star's death around 11:30 a.m., the same time the family assistant knocked on their door.
In this Jan. 26, 2020, file photo, firefighters work the scene of a helicopter crash where former NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant died, in Calabasas, California. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill,File)
Vanessa said in the deposition that she tried calling her husband but received no answer, adding that she then called her mother to ask her to "spot me with the littles" — daughters Bianca, now 4, and Capri, now 2. Kobe is also survived by the couple's eldest daughter, Natalia, now 18.
LA COUNTY SAYS VANESSA BRYANT HAS ‘NO LEGAL BASIS’ TO SUE OVER HELICOPTER CRASH SITE PHOTOS: REPORTS
"As soon as I was on the phone with my mom, I was holding onto my phone, because obviously I was trying to call my husband back," Vanessa said, "and all these notifications started popping up on my phone, saying 'RIP Kobe. RIP Kobe. RIP Kobe.'"
Vanessa, whose family home is in Orange County, said she picked up Natalia from an ACT prep class. Kobe's wife said that authorities told her they couldn't tell her anything over the phone and that she would have to drive an hour and a half to a police station in Malibu, the closest one to the crash site. She said her assistant dropped her off at the local airport, where she requested that a helicopter fly her to the crash site. She said one of the helicopter owners refused, saying the weather conditions were too bad.
She said Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka eventually drove her and Natalia to the Malibu police station in the teen's car. Vanessa said that they arrived around 1:30 p.m. and that after a wait, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told her what happened.
"And I said: ‘If you can’t bring my husband and baby back, please make sure that no one takes photographs of them. Please secure the area,’" Vanessa Bryant said during the deposition. "And he said: ‘I will.’ And I said: ‘No, I need you to get on the phone right now and I need you to make sure you secure the area.’"
From left to right, Vanessa Laine Bryant, former NBA player Kobe Bryant, Natalia Diamante Bryant and Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant arrive at the world premiere of Disney's "A Wrinkle in Time" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood California, on Feb. 26, 2018. ((Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney))
Villanueva, she said, excused himself momentarily and reassured her the area had been secured when he came back.
A message seeking comments from Villanueva has not been returned.
Bryant, whose federal lawsuit against the county alleges invasion of privacy, has alleged in court papers that she has experienced "severe emotional distress" that has compounded the trauma of losing her husband and 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. The lawsuit contends first responders, including firefighters and sheriff’s deputies, shared photographs of Kobe Bryant’s body with a bartender and passed around "gratuitous photos of the dead children, parents and coaches."
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Court documents show that the county is not only looking to force Kobe’s widow to undergo a psychiatric evaluation but also evaluations of the children and siblings of other crash victims, including a 5-year-old.
The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for Nov. 5. The trial over the lawsuit is expected to begin in February.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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