Jan 29, 2020 - Sports

Vanessa Bryant breaks her silence on the deaths of Kobe and Gianna

Orion Rummler

This image displays a memorial graffitied of Kobe and his daughter Gigi — Kobe Bryant and his daughter in a mural. Photo: Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images

Vanessa Bryant said she was "completely devastated" by the sudden loss of her husband, Kobe Bryant, and her daughter Gianna in an Instagram post on Wednesday.

Driving the news: LeBron James and other stars have paid tribute to the NBA legend, Vanessa Bryant and their 13-year-old daughter on Instagram since both Kobe and Gianna were killed in a California helicopter crash on Sunday.

What she's saying: "We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately," she said."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 incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."

In her post, Bryant announced a Mamba Sports Foundation fund to help other families affected by the helicopter crash.
She asked for "the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality."

Go deeper: In photos: The life of NBA legend Kobe Bryant

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Vanessa Bryant breaks her silence on the deaths of Kobe and Gianna

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