March 01, (THEWILL) – Vanessa Bryant has reached a settlement with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in a lawsuit over the unauthorised sharing of photos taken at the scene of the tragic helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant and daughter, Gianna, in 2020.
The settlement will provide Vanessa and her daughters with $28.85 million. A federal jury had previously awarded Bryant $16 million in August 2022, but a clerical error resulted in a $1 million reduction.
THEWILL recalls that the photos, which were taken by deputies and firefighters, were distributed to multiple employees within the L.A. County sheriff’s office and were seen by friends, spouses, and even a bartender. Bryant testified that the images compounded her emotional distress and that she lives in fear of her daughters seeing them on social media, which triggers panic attacks.
The settlement brings a close to a painful chapter for the Bryant family, who have endured immense grief over the loss of their loved ones, compounded by the violation of their privacy and dignity through the unauthorised sharing of personal photos.
Kobe Bryant, Gianna, and seven others died in the helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, caused by pilot error.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
