01of 17Kobe Bryant/InstagramKobe first met Vanessa Urbieta Cornejo Laine on the set of a music video in 1999, when he was 20 and she was just 17 and still in high school.“She’d bring pictures of Kobe to school and we’d be like, ‘Omygod,’ " Vanessa’s classmate Monica Squadrilli toldtheLos Angeles Timesin 2005.
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Kobe Bryant/Instagram
Kobe first met Vanessa Urbieta Cornejo Laine on the set of a music video in 1999, when he was 20 and she was just 17 and still in high school.
“She’d bring pictures of Kobe to school and we’d be like, ‘Omygod,’ " Vanessa’s classmate Monica Squadrilli toldtheLos Angeles Timesin 2005.
02of 17Kobe and Vanessa Bryant.Kobe Bryant/InstagramAfter a sweet first date at Disneyland, the two quickly fell in love. They got engaged when Vanessa turned 18, and then married on April 18, 2001.
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Kobe and Vanessa Bryant.Kobe Bryant/Instagram
After a sweet first date at Disneyland, the two quickly fell in love. They got engaged when Vanessa turned 18, and then married on April 18, 2001.
03of 17Kobe Bryant with parents Pamela and Joe Bryant.Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via GettyHowever, two people were noticeably missing from the couple’s big day, which took place at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California.Bryant’s parents — Joe and Pamela Bryant —skipped out on the joyous occasionbecause they did not approve of the union.
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Kobe Bryant with parents Pamela and Joe Bryant.Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty
However, two people were noticeably missing from the couple’s big day, which took place at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California.
Bryant’s parents — Joe and Pamela Bryant —skipped out on the joyous occasionbecause they did not approve of the union.
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Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival
05of 17Steve Grayson/WireImageIn 2003, Bryant pled not guilty to felony sexual assaultafter a 19-year-old employee of a Vail-area resort accused him of rape, PEOPLE reported at the time. The woman claimed the then-Los Angeles Lakers player also blocked her from leaving his room and allegedly choked her. Criminal charges against the athlete were eventually dropped, and a civil case brought against Bryant was settled out of court.Bryant claimed the encounter was consensual and apologized to the woman in a statement read in court, saying in part, “Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did,” theNew York Timesreported.
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Steve Grayson/WireImage
In 2003, Bryant pled not guilty to felony sexual assaultafter a 19-year-old employee of a Vail-area resort accused him of rape, PEOPLE reported at the time. The woman claimed the then-Los Angeles Lakers player also blocked her from leaving his room and allegedly choked her. Criminal charges against the athlete were eventually dropped, and a civil case brought against Bryant was settled out of court.
Bryant claimed the encounter was consensual and apologized to the woman in a statement read in court, saying in part, “Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did,” theNew York Timesreported.
06of 17Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant.Kobe Bryant/InstagramDuring an episode of Showtime Basketball’sAll the Smoke, the five-time NBA champ opened up aboutrebuilding his relationship after the scandal.“Commitment and [the] competitiveness of ‘We’re going to succeed,’ " was crucial, Bryant said.He added that it also required solidarity between the couple when it came to working through thosedifficult moments.“That’s all the beauty of it: having the persistence and determination to work through things — very, very tough things — and we’ve been able to do that,” he said of himself and Vanessa.
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Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant.Kobe Bryant/Instagram
During an episode of Showtime Basketball’sAll the Smoke, the five-time NBA champ opened up aboutrebuilding his relationship after the scandal.
“Commitment and [the] competitiveness of ‘We’re going to succeed,’ " was crucial, Bryant said.
He added that it also required solidarity between the couple when it came to working through thosedifficult moments.
“That’s all the beauty of it: having the persistence and determination to work through things — very, very tough things — and we’ve been able to do that,” he said of himself and Vanessa.
07of 17Kobe Bryant/InstagramDespite their turbulent beginnings, the Bryants went on to welcome three more daughters after Natalia: Gianna, Bianka and Capri.
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Despite their turbulent beginnings, the Bryants went on to welcome three more daughters after Natalia: Gianna, Bianka and Capri.
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Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant and family.Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
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“Just finished celebrating my 20 year career. It’s a blessing to now celebrate 15 years of marriage today! I love you mama per sempre #15yranniversary,” hewroteof his wife on Instagram in 2016.
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11of 17Kobe Bryant/InstagramThe sweethearts celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary in 2017 in Sedona, Arizona.
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The sweethearts celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary in 2017 in Sedona, Arizona.
12of 17Kobe Bryant/InstagramThen took their family on a Bryant vacation to Paris, where the couple took a silly selfie in front of theMona Lisa.
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Then took their family on a Bryant vacation to Paris, where the couple took a silly selfie in front of theMona Lisa.
13of 17Kobe Bryant/InstagramThe Disney lovers made another trip to the park and took a snap together in front of the house from Disney’sUp.
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The Disney lovers made another trip to the park and took a snap together in front of the house from Disney’sUp.
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Kevork Djansezian/Getty
15of 17Kobe Bryant/InstagramKobe took Vanessa back to Disneylandon the same day they went on their first date two decades prior, Nov. 28, 2019.
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Kobe took Vanessa back to Disneylandon the same day they went on their first date two decades prior, Nov. 28, 2019.
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Kobe Bryant/ Instagram
The very last post Kobe made on Instagram of him and his wife was astunning portraitthey took at Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s New Year’s Eve party in the final hours of 2019.
This marked the very last photo he would share of the two beforehis sudden death, following a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan. 26, 2020.
Kobe died,along with his 13-year-old daughter Giannaand seven others, while traveling in his private helicopter to a basketball game for his daughter.
Emergency personnel responded at the time but none of the nine people on board survived, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said during a press conference.
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(From left) Natalia, Gianna, Kobe, Vanessa and Bianka Bryant.Kobe Bryant/Instagram
Four days after the crash,Vanessa posted a moving tributeto her husband and daughter on Instagram, thanking fans for the outpouring of support during the family’s “horrific time.”
“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 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.”
source: people.com
