The untold truth of Kobe Bryant's wife.
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The wife of the late Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant (née Laine), met the legendary athlete while she was working as a background model on the set of a 2002 music video, according to People. From there, their courtship was followed by an engagement, a low-key wedding, and four children — Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, and Capri Bryant.
While Kobe Bryant's high-profile career meant his face was plastered on countless television screens and magazine covers, Vanessa rarely gives interviews or takes center stage. Unfortunately, her relative low media profile served as a sharp contrast to when she shared the spotlight with Kobe as he admitted to committing adultery and faced sexual assault charges in December 2003. Of course, there's much more to Vanessa than how she responded to that one ugly incident in her marriage. Vanessa and Kobe's relationship held strong and as they focused on family, raising their daughters, and forging a lasting legacy on the court and off it.
Unfortunately, Vanessa will face the toughest challenges of her life as she copes with the tragic death of her husband and their daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020. Let's take a closer look at the untold truth of this tremendous woman.
Number 1. Vanessa Bryant sent her high school into a tailspin.
As a senior at Marina High School, news that Vanessa Bryant was dating one of the L.A. Lakers' star players sent shockwaves through the campus. According to the Los Angeles Times, a television helicopter was seen flying over the school in an attempt to capture images of the then-high school student and her A-list beau. It was also reported that Vanessa skipped out on her prom and had to finish her education through homeschooling "because of the notoriety," her grandfather, Robert Laine, told the newspaper.
In a quest to gather up more information on the brunette teen who had captured Kobe's heart, the Times even interviewed some of her classmates, including a student named Graham Finochio who said the buzz around campus was that Kobe was sending "flowers and stuff" to some "chick."
Some chatter from harmless teens was nothing. Once Vanessa and Kobe decided to get married, that's when their lives really got flipped upside down.
Number 2. A young and 'devoted' bride.
Kobe Bryant confirmed after one of his basketball practices that he was engaged to high school senior Vanessa Bryant, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2000. Vanessa was only 18 years old at the time of their wedding, while Kobe was 22. They were young, and, as such, many people probably thought they were doomed from the start, but Vanessa and Kobe proved to the world that they were serious about the life-long commitment they were choosing to embark on. An insider told People a year following their 2001 wedding that Vanessa and Kobe were "very close and very devoted to one another," adding that Vanessa had even gotten over her fear of flying to travel to Kobe's high school in Lower Merion, Pa. to his jersey retirement ceremony.
But her dedication to her husband and their marriage would be put to the test just a couple of years later. More on that scandal in a bit.
Number 3. Kobe Bryant blames himself for their tragic loss
A little over two years after getting married, Kobe Bryant's wife's hopes and dreams of a perfect union were shattered when her husband was accused of sexually assaulting a Colorado hotel employee in 2003. Kobe Bryant appeared in a now-infamous televised news conference with a stoic — yet visibly defeated — Vanessa Bryant by his side. "You're my backbone. You're a blessing. You're a piece of my heart. You're the air I breathe," Kobe told Vanessa as tears rolled down his face (via People). "And you're the strongest person I know, and I'm so sorry for having to put you through this and having to put our family through this."
The criminal case against Kobe Bryant was dropped in September 2004 after the alleged victim refused to testify, the Los Angeles Times reported. Kobe eventually settled a civil lawsuit with his accuser out of court, but the scandal continued to affect Vanessa's life. In the Showtime documentary Kobe Bryant's Muse (via New York Daily News), Kobe revealed that Vanessa had been pregnant but suffered a miscarriage in early 2005. Kobe blamed himself for the loss, stating that Vanessa was dealing with too much stress in connection to the sexual assault allegations. "We should be building our family," he said. "But because of my mistake, because of this tough year, we lost a baby."
