Graphic pics of Kobe Bryant and Gigi's bodies 'found on phones of EIGHT cops' (2024)

EIGHT officers from the LA County Sheriff's Department took photos of the grisly crash site where Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were killed, a lawsuit claims.

The deputies allegedly snapped photos of the dead children, their parents and coaches, according to the lawsuit filed last year by Vanessa Bryant in Los Angeles.

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Kobe's wife sued the LAPD sheriff after the graphic photos showed the remains of the NBA star and eight others who died in the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

"No fewer than 8 sheriff's deputies at the crash site, pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents and coaches," says the lawsuit, which TMZ obtained a copy of.

"The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification."

Los Angeles County has now hit back in new court documents askingVanessato undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether or not she’s actually been as distressed as she’s claimed.

USA Todayreports the filings read: "Despite putting their mental condition front and center in this case, Plaintiffs refuse to submit to independent medical examinations (IMEs).

“…The County brings this motion to compel IMEs of the Plaintiffs, which are necessary to evaluate the existence, extent and nature of Plaintiffs’ alleged emotional injuries.

“Plaintiffs cannot claim that they are suffering from ongoing depression, anxiety and severe emotional distress and then balk at having to support their claims.”

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Vanessa’s attorneys slammed the request, calling out the county for trying to force the evaluations on all of the surviving family, including “four teenagers, a 10-year-old child, and a 5-year-old kindergartener.”

The lawyers added in their response filings: "The County has resorted to scorched-earth discovery tactics designed to bully Plaintiffs into abandoning their pursuit of accountability."

Vanessa's original lawsuit filing also alleges the crash photos were a topic of discussion within the sheriff's department, as deputies allowed their colleagues to see the photos that had no investigative purpose.

A deputy showed off the crash site pics to a woman he was trying to impress at a bar, the lawsuit claims.

That's when a bartender overheard the conversation and blew the whistle by reporting the information to the sheriff's department.

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In Vanessa's lawsuit, she claims Sheriff Alex Villanueva attempted to cover up the misconduct by going to the department substation that responded to the crash and told deputies they'd get off scot-free if they deleted the photos.

Villanueva allegedly didn't tell the victims' families about the images - their loved ones only learned of the scandal in the media after the story broke, according to the lawsuit.

The suit claims the Sheriff never gave the family clear answers, and now Vanessa lives in constant fear that the devastating photos will leak to the public.

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"Ms. Bryant feels ill at the thought of strangers gawking at images of her deceased husband and child, and she lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online," the documents said.

On August 24, 2022, a unanimous jury determined that Los Angeles County must pay Vanessa $16million over the photos.

The jury also awarded $15million to Vanessa's co-plaintiff, Chris Chester, who lost his wife and daughter in the crash.

Vanessa shared Instagram photos of memorabilia pieces she collected during her late husband's career last year amid the legal drama.

Included among the keepsakes are theNBAstar's high school jersey and warmups, which she said their family didn't get back until 2013.

Among the other items are the Adidas sneakersKobewore during his championship run with theLos AngelesLakers and the champagne-soaked locker room t-shirt he wore after winning the championship in 2001.

"I keep EVERYTHING for my baby and our girls," she added.

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The NBA icon and his 13-year-old daughter tragically died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.

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Kobe and Gigi were on their way to the Mamba Academy for basketball practice when the private helicopter went down in the Calabasas mountains northwest of Los Angeles.

Seven other passengers were also killed in the fiery crash.

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Vanessa Bryant paystribute to her late husband Kobe and daughter with two new tattoos

Graphic pics of Kobe Bryant and Gigi's bodies 'found on phones of EIGHT cops' (2024)

FAQs

Did they find Kobes remains? ›

Flames engulfed the wreckage, but burns on the bodies were determined to have occurred after death. Bryant's body was found on one side of the wreckage, and his daughter's was found in a ravine on the opposite side.

Who shared photos of Kobe Bryant? ›

But the pictures were shared, mostly between employees of the county sheriff's and fire departments, including by some who were playing video games and attending an awards banquet. They were also seen by some of their spouses and in one case by a bartender at a bar where a deputy was drinking.

Where is Kobe's crash site? ›

on january 26 2020 basketball legend Kobe Bryant, His 13 year old daughter, Gianna and seven others were killed in *** helicopter crash in calabasas California. They were on their way to Jonah's basketball game when foggy conditions caused the helicopter to crash into the hillside.

Who are Gigi and Kobe Bryant? ›

Gigi died at age 13 alongside Kobe, 41, in January 2020 helicopter crash. At the time, the father-daughter duo were heading to a kids basketball game at Kobe's Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Was Gianna Bryant buried? ›

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were buried Friday in a cemetery near the family's Southern California home, according to death certificates.

Who looked up to Kobe Bryant? ›

From stars such as Kyrie Irving, Donovan Mitchell and P.J. Tucker to younger players who looked up to Bryant as their childhood idol, a full spectrum of tributes was spotted leaguewide.

Who is the face of Kobe? ›

Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan is signing a new four-year deal with Nike to remain the face of the brand's Kobe Bryant signature line, sources told The Athletic on Monday. DeRozan, 32, is fresh off of making the All-NBA second team and is known for wearing both retro and unreleased Kobe sneakers.

What was Kobe Bryant's net worth? ›

His net worth at the time of his death was an estimated $600 million.

Is there a statue of Kobe and Gigi? ›

The 160-pound bronze statue depicts the pair wearing basketball uniforms and sharing a loving glance as Gigi holds Kobe's hand as it rests on her shoulder.

What is Kobe Bryant's wife now? ›

Did Gianna Bryant pass away? ›

How old is Gigi Bryant now? ›

Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant (May 1, 2006 — January 26, 2020), also known as Gigi Bryant and Mambacita, was an American student-athlete and the daughter of former professional basketball player Kobe Bryant. Together with her father and seven others, she died in a helicopter crash in 2020 at age 13.

How tall was Gianna Bryant when she died? ›

Kobe Bryant's daughter, Gianna Bryant, was 13 years old when she tragically passed away in a helicopter crash alongside her father and seven others in January 2020. At the time of her death, Gianna stood at approximately 5 feet tall.

Who was Kobe Bryant lover? ›

Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant's decades-long romance came to a tragic end when the NBA legend died on January 26, 2020.

When was Kobe's autopsy report released? ›

On Friday, May 15, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner released the coroner's report for all of the victims who died in the Jan. 26 crash. According to the documents, all of the passengers died of blunt trauma and the manner of death was accidental.

How much were Kobes before he died? ›

Kobe Bryant had a net worth of nearly $600 million at the time of his death in 2020, according to Forbes. This amount was the third most in a distinguished list of athletes; Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods were the first two.

Why are Kobes so hard to find? ›

According to the social media account @DailySNKRSStock, only 47,249 pairs of the Nike Kobe 8 Protro 'Halo' have been produced. For context, that is only a slight increase from the approximately 40,024 pairs of Nike Kobe 4 Protro 'Mambacita' that were released in limited quantities in May 2023.

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