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Vanessa Bryant

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Vanessa Bryant
Bryant in 2010
Born
Vanessa Urbieta Cornejo

(1982-05-05) May 5, 1982 (age 42)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesVanessa Laine
Occupations
  • Philanthropist
  • business executive
  • model
Title
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2001; died 2020)​
Children4; including Gianna

Vanessa Marie Bryant (born Vanessa Urbieta Cornejo; May 5, 1982) is an American businesswoman, philanthropist, and model. She is the widow of American professional basketball player Kobe Bryant. With her husband, she founded the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation in 2007 to provide scholarships to minority college students worldwide. Bryant leads the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting child athletes who are in need.

Early life

Bryant was born Vanessa Urbieta Cornejo on May 5, 1982, in Los Angeles, California, to Sofia Urbieta who immigrated from Mexico.[1][2] Her parents divorced when she was a baby and her biological father moved to Mexico;[1] she is estranged from her father.[3] Her mother was a shipping clerk at an electronics company who in 1990, married Stephen Laine, a middle manager at the same company. Bryant began going by Laine's surname instead of her birth father’s, Cornejo, and officially changed her name to Vanessa Marie Laine in 2000, despite never officially being adopted by her step-father.[1][4] She has an older sister, Sophie.[1]

Her family had been living in her maternal aunt's spare room until her mother's marriage to Laine, after which they relocated to a house in Garden Grove.[1] She attended Marina High School in Huntington Beach.[5]

In August 1999, Bryant and her friend Rowena Ireifej attended a hip-hop concert at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. They were approached by a company and offered work as music video extras and backup dancers. Bryant later appeared in music videos for artists including Krayzie Bone and Snoop Dogg.[1] Her mother chaperoned her on the shoots.[6][1] In November 1999, 17-year-old Bryant was working as a background dancer for Tha Eastsidaz music video "G'd Up" when she met future husband Kobe Bryant, who was on set working on a rap album.[7]

Their high-profile relationship caused disruptions at her high school, leading Bryant to complete her senior year at home as an independent study; she graduated in 2000.[1] Her mother and step-father filed for bankruptcy in 2000 and divorced in 2002.[3]

Career and philanthropy

The Bryants and Eric Garcetti in 2016

In 2007, Bryant and her husband founded the VIVO Foundation which was later renamed the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation. It is a charity that supports increasing a global perspective among young people. It provides scholarships for minority college students and other youth worldwide. The charity has collaborated with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[8]

Bryant and her husband were founding donors of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.[9]

In 2020, following the death of her husband and second-oldest daughter, Bryant changed the name of her husband's Mamba Sports Foundation to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation in honor of her daughter.[10] It supports poor child athletes.[11] In May 2021, Bryant launched a Mambacita line of clothing in honor of her daughter Gianna. The line is in partnership with a female-owned brand, Dannijo and all proceeds go towards the Mambacita Sports Foundation.[12]

Bryant was the president and chief executive officer of Granity Studios.[13]

Bryant worked with Baby2Baby to provide support for women and children in poverty. At the Baby2Baby 10-year gala in November 2021, she received a philanthropy award.[14]

Personal life

The Bryants and former U.S. president Barack Obama, in the Oval Office in 2010

In November 1999, 17-year-old Bryant was working as a background dancer for Tha Eastsidaz music video "G'd Up" when she met Kobe Bryant, who was on set working on a rap album.[7] Six months after meeting, the couple were engaged. Her engagement ring included a seven-carat diamond.[15][16] They married on April 18, 2001.[4] The wedding ceremony was attended by approximately twelve people and was held in Dana Point, California, at the St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church; Kobe's parents, two sisters, longtime advisor and agent, and teammates did not attend.[1] After the marriage, she took his last name, becoming Vanessa Marie Bryant.[17]

They had four children: Natalia Diamante (born January 2003),[6] Gianna "Gigi" Maria-Onore (May 2006 - January 2020),[18] Bianka Bella (born December 2016),[19][20][21] and Capri Kobe (born June 2019).[22][23]

During the 2003 sexual assault case against her husband, Bryant defended him, stating: "I know my husband made the mistake of adultery".[24] A few days later, she received a $4 million eight-carat purple diamond ring leading to speculation that this was a gift for her support.[4] Kobe reportedly had commissioned the ring two months prior.[25] He later said that he felt guilt about a miscarriage Bryant had suffered in early 2005, attributing it to the rape allegations.[26]

In 2004, Bryant accused Lakers player Karl Malone of acting inappropriately towards her. Malone later apologized while denying making a pass at her.[6] Sports Illustrated published a story titled Vanessa-gate about "wife-poaching" by Malone.[1] Other columnists described Bryant as the new Yoko Ono, and she was the subject of a Saturday Night Live parody.[6] She was recognized by supporters for challenging the National Basketball Association culture of tolerance of tomcatting.[1]

In 2009, Bryant's housekeeper Maria Jimenez sued the Bryants, alleging that Vanessa verbally abused and humiliated her while she worked at their Newport Coast home from September 2007 to March 2008. Vanessa allegedly forced Jimenez to stick her hand in a bag of dog feces to retrieve a price tag as punishment for putting a $690 Gucci blouse in the washing machine and routinely called her “lazy, slow, dumb, a fucking liar and fucking shit”.[27][28] The Bryants denied those allegations and counter-sued Jimenez, alleging that she breached a confidentiality agreement.[6] Bryant settled the suit in 2010, paying an undisclosed amount to Jimenez.[29]

At a 2010 Lakers game against the Phoenix Suns, Bryant wore a t-shirt that read "Do I Look Illegal?” in protest against the Arizona SB 1070 Immigration Law, which critics said targets illegal immigrants.[30][31]

In December 2011, Vanessa filed for divorce from Kobe, citing irreconcilable differences[24] and sparked speculation about the possible distribution of assets in a divorce.[32] Thirteen months later, the Bryants called off the divorce.[33] In April 2016, David Wharton and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times described Bryant as a contradictory and "at times polarizing public figure".[6]

In December 2020, a lawsuit was filed against Vanessa by her mother Sofia Urbieta Laine for fraud, alleging she had worked for years without pay as their “personal assistant and nanny” and that Kobe had promised to support her financially before his death in January. Vanessa allegedly kicked her mother out of her home and took away her car, according to a Univision interview. The lawsuit was settled in 2021.[34][35]

2020 helicopter crash and subsequent litigation

On January 26, 2020, Bryant's husband and their daughter Gigi died in the Calabasas helicopter crash. She sued Los Angeles County for invasion of privacy and negligence after employees of the Sheriff's Office and Fire Department took photos of the victims of the crash and improperly shared them.[36] The case went to trial and, in August 2022, she was awarded $16 million in damages.[37] In February 2023, the county settled the case with Bryant and her daughters, with the county agreeing to pay $28.85 million (including the approximate $15 million awarded to her in the previous year and additional funds to settle potential claims from her daughters).[38] Vanessa Bryant said she would donate the lawsuit proceeds to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.[39]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Kobe's costar". LA Times. February 15, 2005. Archived from the original on January 30, 2020.
  2. ^ Trujillo, Brianna (2020-05-10). "The Feeling's Mutual: Kobe Bryant's Appreciation for His Hispanic Fans". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved February 26, 2024. "In 2001, he married Vanessa Laine, whose mother was an immigrant from Mexico".
  3. ^ a b "Sofia Laine: 5 Things About Vanessa Bryant's Mom Who Is Suing Her For Financial Support". Hollywood Life. December 17, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Harris, Beth (2003-08-05). "Brant and wife remain close". The Springfield News-Leader. p. 29. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  5. ^ Lynch, Renee (2000-05-20). "Kobe: Fame Descends on Marina High School". The Los Angeles Times. p. 217. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Wharton, David; Fenno, Nathan (2016-04-17). "Much like her husband Kobe, Vanessa Bryant has been a contradictory, at times polarizing public figure". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  7. ^ a b "The Career Vanessa Bryant Wanted When She Was Younger". The List. December 22, 2020. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021.
  8. ^ Schultz, Kyley (January 26, 2020). "Here's how you can donate to the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation". WUSA9. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  9. ^ "Statement on the Death of Basketball Icon and Museum Founding Donor Kobe Bryant". National Museum of African American History and Culture. January 28, 2020.
  10. ^ Gardner, Steve. "Kobe Bryant's Mamba Sports Foundation adds 'Mambacita' to name in honor of daughter Gianna". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  11. ^ "Vanessa Bryant to receive honor for leadership". ESPN. 2022-02-01. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  12. ^ Maiysha, Kai (May 3, 2021). "Following Split With Nike, Vanessa Bryant Honors Gianna's 15th Birthday With Philanthropic 'Mambacita' Line". The Root. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  13. ^ "Vanessa Bryant 'Extremely Thankful' for Friends Who Have Helped Her Cope With Kobe and Gianna's Deaths". KVUE. January 25, 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  14. ^ Rodriquez-Jimenez, Jorge (2021-11-15). "Vanessa Bryant Remembers Kobe's Commitment to Philanthropy While Accepting Award". Remezcla. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  15. ^ Gold, Scott (2000-05-20). "Laker's Marriage Plans Are the Talk of His Fiancee's High School". The Los Angeles Times. p. 23. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  16. ^ DiFilippo, Dana (2001-04-23). "Kobe's mystery marriage". Philadelphia Daily News. p. 5. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  17. ^ "Vanessa Bryant - La biographie de Vanessa Bryant avec Gala.fr". Gala.fr (in French). 31 March 2020. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  18. ^ "Shaq is a Dad Six Minutes After Kobe". Contact Music. May 2, 2006. Retrieved May 25, 2007.
  19. ^ Drysdale, Jennifer (December 8, 2016). "Kobe Bryant and Wife Vanessa Welcome Third Child". Yahoo!.
  20. ^ Harris, Sarah Jane (December 8, 2016). "Kobe Bryant welcomes his third child". sportingnews.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  21. ^ Muhammad, Latifah (December 21, 2016). "Kobe Bryant Shares Adorable First Pic of Newborn Daughter Bianka". Entertainment Tonight. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  22. ^ Adams, Char (July 4, 2019). "Meet Baby 'KoKo!' Kobe Bryant Officially Introduces His 'Little Princess' — Daughter Capri Kobe". People.
  23. ^ "Kobe Bryant's Wife Vanessa Gives Birth, Welcomes Fourth Daughter". Us Weekly. June 21, 2019.
  24. ^ a b "Tears for Kobe: Wife files for divorce". Visalia Times-Delta. Associated Press. 2011-12-17. p. 11. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  25. ^ Wiggins, David K. (June 2021). "Kobe Bryant's Second Act: a Brief but Beautiful Post-basketball Life". Journal of African American Studies. 25 (2): 265–284. doi:10.1007/s12111-021-09541-7. ISSN 1559-1646. S2CID 237931985.
  26. ^ "Kobe Bryant carries guilt over wife's miscarriage, blames rape allegations: 'The reality is it happened because of me'". New York Daily News. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 2 March 2022.
  27. ^ "Bryant's ex-housekeeper says 'stress was too much'". The Orange County Register. March 26, 2009. Archived from the original on November 20, 2024.
  28. ^ "Ex-Maid: Kobe Bryant's Wife Mistreated Me". NY Post. March 25, 2009. Archived from the original on February 19, 2016.
  29. ^ Srisavasdi, Rachanee (2010-05-26). "Kobe Bryant settles lawsuit brought by ex-maid". Orange County Register. Retrieved 2024-02-27.
  30. ^ "Kobe Bryant had a special kinship with Latino fans and culture". LA Times. January 27, 2020. Archived from the original on January 29, 2020.
  31. ^ "Kobe Bryant's Wife Wears "Do I Look Legal?" Tee to Protest AZ Law As ACLU Files Suit". America's Voice. May 18, 2010. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023.
  32. ^ Rojas, Rick; Winton, Richard (2011-12-20). "Bryant's wife stands to receive a windfall". The Sacramento Bee. pp. C3. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  33. ^ "Kobe, Vanessa Bryant call off divorce". The Fresno Bee. Los Angeles. 2013-01-16. pp. VB4. Retrieved 2022-02-12.
  34. ^ "Vanessa Bryant settles lawsuit filed against her by her mother". LA Times. August 7, 2021.
  35. ^ "Vanessa Bryant Responds to Mom's 'Beyond Hurtful' Interview About Their Relationship". People. September 22, 2020.
  36. ^ Schrotenboer, Brent (2022-01-05). "Kobe Bryant's widow wins key court ruling in lawsuit over photos of human remains from helicopter crash". USA Today. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  37. ^ Lozano, Alicia Victoria (25 August 2022). "Vanessa Bryant awarded $16 million in Kobe Bryant crash photos trial". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-08-25.
  38. ^ Abrams, Jonathan (March 2023). "Vanessa Bryant Settles Helicopter Crash Photos Lawsuit for $28.85 Million". The New York Times. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  39. ^ Tchekmediyan, Alene (2022-08-25). "Vanessa Bryant plans to give verdict proceeds to Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-10-24.
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