Vanessa Bryant has reached a settlement with Los Angeles Country over the sharing of photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband Kobe and their daughter Gianna.
On January 26th 2020, former NBA player Kobe, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter died in a helicopter crash along with seven other people.
In August 2022, a federal jury found the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Fire departments liable for infringing on the constitutional rights of Vanessa and her co-plaintiff Christopher Chester for taking and sharing photos of the crash.
Along with photos of the wreckage, there was also close-up images of the bodies of those who were killed.
Vanessa sued for negligence and invasion of privacy in September 2020, and was awarded $16 million last August – but this was later reduced by $1 million because of a clerical error.
Her co-plaintiff Christopher, who lost his wife Sarah and 13-year-old daughter Payton in the helicopter crash, was awarded $15 million.
On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County agreed to pay Vanessa and her three surviving daughters $28.85 million to settle the lawsuit and potential future claims by the family.
In a statement shared with Entertainment Tonight, Vanessa’s attorney said: “Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct.”
“She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice.”
Mira Hashmall, lead trial counsel for L.A. County in the Bryant-Chester case, said in a statement:Â “We believe the settlement approved by the Board in the Bryant case is fair and reasonable.”
“The $28,850,000 settlement includes the verdict awarded by the federal jury in August 2022, and further resolves all outstanding issues related to pending legal claims in state court, future claims by the Bryant children, and other costs, with each party responsible for its respective attorneys’ fees.”
“This settlement now concludes all County-related litigation related to the tragic January 2020 helicopter crash. We hope Ms. Bryant and her children continue to heal from their loss,” the statement concluded.
