Vanessa Bryant, the widow of the NBA legend Kobe Bryant, received 16 million dollars as a part of the 31 million-dollar jury verdict against the LA County for deputies and firefighters. The LA County lost the case for allegedly sharing frightful images of Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and other people killed in a 2020 helicopter crash.
The nine-member jury concurred that Vanessa Bryant’s privacy had been violated and that the images made her upset. Meanwhile, she sobbed quietly when the verdict was read before the court.
The jury reached the verdict on Kobe Bryant Day, after extensive deliberation of 41 and a half hours. Meanwhile, after court, the attorney for the county declined to comment on the verdict.
The majority of those who shared the photos were firefighters and sheriffs from LA County, some of whom were also video game players, who were present at an awards ceremony. Moreover, their spouses, and also a bartender who was serving a deputy alcohol in a bar, saw those pictures.
Vanesa Bryant revealed in her tearful testimony during the 11-day trial that the news of the pictures had enhanced her grief one month after the deaths of her husband and daughter. On top of that, she also disclosed that she still experiences panic attacks when she considers the possibility that they could still be out there.
“I live in fear every day of being on social media and these popping up,” she testified. “I live in fear of my daughters being on social media and these popping up,” she said.
Meanwhile, after the verdict, she shared a picture of her family on Instagram, including her husband and daughter.
“All for you!” she wrote in the caption. “I love you! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi!”
On the other hand, her fellow plaintiff, Chris Chester, whose daughter and wife was among the nine people killed in the crash, received a $15 million settlement.
“We’re grateful to a jury and a judge who gave us a fair trial,” Chester’s lawyer, Jerry Jackson, told the media outside the court.
After court, Vanessa Bryant and her attorney declined to comment. She walked past TV cameras and numerous reporters to get into an SUV while her face was still streaked with tears.
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