Vanessa Bryant Remembers Kobe and Gianna with Emotional Post on 6th Anniversary of Their Deaths
- - Vanessa Bryant Remembers Kobe and Gianna with Emotional Post on 6th Anniversary of Their Deaths
Anna Lazarus CaplanJanuary 27, 2026 at 11:22 PM
0
Vanessa Bryant; Kobe and Gianna Bryant
Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty; Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty
Vanessa Bryant is marking the sixth anniversary of the deaths of her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna
The mother, who shares three other daughters with the late basketball legend, posted a photo on her Instagram Stories of the Lakers star and Gianna
Over the years, Bryant has remembered Kobe and Gianna on social media, and through multiple murals and statues displayed in their honor
Vanessa Bryant is remembering her late husband and daughter.
On Monday, Jan. 26, Bryant observed the sixth anniversary of the deaths of Kobe and Gianna with a photo on her Instagram Stories.
In the image, the basketball legend stands behind a young Gianna as they celebrate the Los Angeles Lakers winning the 2009 NBA championship.
At the bottom of the picture, Vanessa added two red hearts.
Monday marked six years to the day that Kobe, Gianna and a group of friends and teammates — including Sarah and Payton Chester, Christina Mauser, John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter, Alyssa Altobelli — died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. en route to a basketball game. At the time, Kobe was 41, and Gianna was 13.
Last May, Vanessa, 43, acknowledged their 24th wedding anniversary with a heartfelt post.
Over the years, the couple welcomed four daughters: Natalia, 23, Bianka, 9, Capri, 6, and the late Gianna.
Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant attends the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks on December 29, 2019.
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty
Last year, in advance of the fifth anniversary of Kobe’s and Gianna’s deaths, Vanessa announced the release of Mamba & Mambacita Forever, a book featuring over 100 murals and stories that honor the father and daughter's lasting impact.
The book, which features many of the public art installations that honor the Bryants, was released in November.
"As difficult as it was to work on this book due to the painful reminder it represents, I’m glad I did it," Vanessa told PEOPLE in October. "The murals of Kobe and Gianna are all so beautiful, but the majority of them are outside and will unfortunately fade or get damaged by the elements like most murals do over time. I wanted to make sure we preserved them."
"This book gives us an opportunity to look back on them forever," she continued. "A book that friends, family and fans can have at home or in their offices with their favorite murals opened on display."
In the years since the tragedy, the family has honored their passing with a series of other memorials to keep their memories alive. In August 2024, the Lakers and Vanessa unveiled a bronze statue titled “Girl Dad” outside of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
“This pain is unimaginable [but] you just have to get up and push forward,” she told PEOPLE in March 2021. “Lying in bed crying isn’t going to change the fact that my family will never be the same again. But getting out of bed and pushing forward is going to make the day better for my girls and for me. So that’s what I do.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
