Before his passing, late NBA champion, Kobe Bryant sustained a lasting relationship with his wife and mother of his four princesses, Vanessa Bryant.
For over 18years, Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa Bryant, lived their love story in public eyes. Sports lovers and the world at large watched as the Bryant clan progressed from a pair of two lovebirds to an adorable family of six.
Sadly though, their relationship was cut shut with the death of the basketball star in January 2020 alongside his 13-year-old daughter. Notwithstanding the loss, their love story still lives on and could survive for several lifetimes to come.
THE ONSET OF KOBE AND VANESSA BRYANT’S LOVE STORY
Kobe Bryant’s relationship with Vanessa Bryant began with their first meeting on the set of a music video in 1999. Vanessa, who was 17 year old at the time and a high school student, captured the athlete’s heart at first sight.
Before long, he asked her out, and they became a couple. They had their first date by November that same year, in a romantic Disneyland affair.
THEIR ENGAGEMENT AND MARRIAGE
After dating for six months, Kobe Bryant popped the big question to the love of his life despite disapproval from relatives.
Barely a year after their engagement, Kobe and Vanessa tied the knot in a dreamy wedding in Dana Point, California. Although the day signified the start of a new life for the lovebirds, it shouldered its share of controversies.
Kobe’s parents and siblings, who reportedly disapproved of their union due to the icon’s age, and Vanessa’s non-African ancestry, failed to attend the wedding. That led the Lakers star to become estranged from his family until the birth of his first daughter, Natalia.
VANESSA AND KOBE BRYANT’S FAMILY OF SIX
Shortly after becoming Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa took in with their first daughter. Subsequently, they welcomed three new additions. Together, the duo shared four daughters, including Natalia, Giana, Bianka, and Capri.
Natalia Diamante Bryant arrived in January 2003. Three years later, the couple welcomed their second daughter, Giana Maria-Onore Bryant, born May 2006.
The love pair took a break from childbearing following the birth of Giana. Then in December 2016, they had another child, Bianka Bella. Their youngest daughter, Capri Kobe, joined the family in June 2016, completing the big family of six.
KOBE AND VANESSA BATTLED UPS AND DOWNS IN THEIR MARRIAGE
While the couple enjoyed a lasting marriage for twenty years, their relationship did not come without scandals. In July 2003, the pair experienced a cheating scandal that almost broke off their wedding.
Speculations about their impending divorce flooded the internet following revelations of Kobe’s one-time affair with a 19-year-old hotel attendant. The teenager accused the athlete of raping her. Kobe, however, denied the rape allegations, insisting their sexual encounter was consensual.
Their love overcame the tumultuous events. Kobe apologized to his wife for cheating on her, and the 38-year-old embraced him once again. She stood by the NBA champion through the legal feud, until the plaintiff eventually dropped the charges in 2004.
Again in 2011, their relationship encountered another divorce scare. Vanessa Bryant filed for a divorce from her husband, citing irreconcilable differences.
They requested joint custody of their kids. Before finalizing the divorce, the two decided to put their differences behind them. Kobe disclosed in January 2013 that they were working on their marriage. They held on strong through their 20th anniversary.
KOBE BRYANT’S TOUCHING BOOK DEDICATION
In addition to remaining a loving husband to Vanessa and a dedicated father to his kids, Kobe Bryant strived to rekindle their love each day. One means by which he did that was by ensuring he gave her credits for her role in making him the achiever the world came to know.
When the icon released his book, “Epoca The Tree Of Ecrof: Island Of The Gods,” in November 2019, he dedicated the masterpiece solely to his wife. Kobe Bryant referred to the mother of his kids as the “realist to my dreamer,” while thanking her for taking up the mandate through their years together.
Vanessa relived the moment five months after Kobe’s death, sharing the dedication page on social media, alongside a heartfelt caption.
KOBE BRYANT’S DEATH AND THE IMPACT ON HIS FAMILY
Sadly, their journey as a couple came to an end on January 26, following the death of Kobe Bryant, alongside their 13-year-old daughter, Giana, in a helicopter crash. Seven other people also perished with the father-daughter pair after the chopper crashed in Calabasas.
The loss of the icon devastated the world, but no one had it harder than his wife and surviving children. On what would have been Kobe’s 42nd birthday on August 23, Vanessa Bryant utilized social media to pay her tribute to the legend.
She expressed her deep sense of loss over the demise of her husband, second daughter, and the others killed in the helicopter crash. She also wished Kobe a happy birthday posthumously, stating how much she missed him and Gigi.
With the icon’s memories still very much alive in Venessa’s heart, hers and Kobe Bryant’s love story keep on living. Undoubtedly, it has secured a spot among one of the most remarkable love stories in history.