Vanessa Bryant, wife of the deceased sports star, opened up publicly for the first time following the tragic death of her husband and daughter in a helicopter crash on Sunday. She posted a photo of the whole family to gather on Instagram, saying that members of the family “wish they were here with us forever”.
“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. I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s 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,” Bryant wrote.
Bryant, alongside her three other daughters, observed that their love for Kobe and Gianna is “endless” and “immeasurable”, expressing her deepest wish to “hug them, kiss them and bless them”.
“Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality,” the 37-year-old mother and wife said, addressing supporters of the late NBA superstar.
Originally from a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kobe Bryant was an 18-time NBA All-Star, five-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic champion. He spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers, before retiring in 2016.
