The city of Los Angeles and the entire world is mourning the loss of a hero, Kobe Bryant, after the 41-year-old tragically died in a horrific helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. The basketball legend was on the way to his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, using his helicopter to bypass the busy Los Angeles traffic. Kobe was one of nine people aboard the helicopter who passed away, including his daughter Gianna. As part of the public grieving process, fans have been sending their love and strength to Vanessa Bryant, who has lost both a husband and a daughter. In her first public move since the terrible accident this weekend, Bryant has updated her profile picture on Instagram to a photo of her lost loves, Kobe and Gigi.
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The Bryant family has still not released a statement on the passing of Kobe and Gianna but Vanessa took her first step back into real life, updating her social media profile with a heartbreaking picture of her late daughter and husband. The image shows Kobe, who was selected to the Western Conference All-Star team, hugging Gianna, both with tremendous smiles on their faces.
Among the thousands of tributes pouring in this week, one of the most poignant came from a news reporter who recalled a conversation she had with Kobe about being a father to several girls, to which he noted that he loves being a “Girl Dad.” Bryant was a family man, taking pride in the lives of his girls and always supporting his wife. We would like to send our most sincere condolences to the Bryant family for their losses.