Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa breaks her silence following the tragic death of husband and daughter
30 January 2020, 08:48
Vanessa Bryant has said she and her family are "devastated" by the passing of Kobe and Gianna.
On Sunday 26th January, basketball player Kobe Bryant, 41, and his daughter Gianna, 13, were killed in a helicopter crash.
Since the tragic news surfaced, people across the world have been sharing their heartbreak over the devastating news, with many sports personalities and celebrities taking to social media to honour the father and daughter.
Now, Kobe's wife and Gianna's mother, Vanessa Bryant, has broken her silence.
Taking to Instagram four days after their deaths, Vanessa said she and her family are "completely devastated", but thanked people for their love and prayers.
She wrote: "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.
"We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri."
She went on: "We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately. There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."
Continuing, Vanessa said she "wasn't sure what life holds beyond today" and that it is "impossible to imagine life without them".
"But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way", she wrote, continuing: "Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever."
The family also added that they would like people tp grant them privacy and respect as they "navigate this new reality".
In the statement, Vanessa also shared that the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy.
