Vanessa Bryant stated for the first time after her husband, former basketball legend Kobe Bryant and their daughter Jana were killed in a helicopter accident last Sunday, and considered her family to be "completely destroyed" by the tragedy.
Vanessa - who married Kobe in 2001 - wrote a long message on Instagram on Thursday to express her sadness, "We are totally destroyed by the sudden loss of my wonderful husband, Kobe, the amazing father of our daughters, my beautiful, wonderful and loving daughter, Jana, and the amazing sister of Natalia, Bianca and Capri."
Vanessa's comment came hours after Bryant, 41, was among the nine identified as the victims of his helicopter crash.
Bryant, who was crowned five times in the Los Angeles Lakers shirt before retiring in 2016, died Sunday as a result of a helicopter crash that was carrying him in Calabasas, Los Angeles, southern California.
"There are not enough words to describe our pain now. I feel comfortable when I know that Kobe and Gigi are so loved," added Vanessa, who switched her Instagram photo to another for Bryant and Jana, 13.
"We were thankful for their presence in our lives," Vanessa, 37, said. "I wish they had stayed here with us forever. They were two blessings taken from us very early on."
View this post on Instagram My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who've shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe - the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna - a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately. There aren't enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon. I'm not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it's impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless - and that's to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever. Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality. To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org. To further Kobe and Gianna's legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org. Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family ❤️ A post shared by Vanessa Bryant 🦋 (@vanessabryant) onJan 29, 2020 at 4:59 pm PST |
The Sikorsky S76B helicopter crashed at a time when thick fog enveloped the city, after taking off from Newport Beach (60 km south of Los Angeles) where Bryant was staying, towards the former star star Mamba Academy located 135 km away.
According to information reported by American newspapers, the flight data indicated difficulties that occurred when the plane flew over the Los Angeles Zoo, when the pilot was informed that he was flying at low altitude.
A few minutes later, the helicopter appears to have crashed into a hill about 520 meters from the ground before it caught fire, and the plane had no black box, as it was not required in this type of aircraft.
US Transportation Safety Agency investigators spoke of a "terrible accident site", in which debris spread about 200 meters away.
Unlimited love
Vanessa added that it is impossible to imagine the life of the family without Kobe and Jana, "but we wake up every day and try to withstand because Kobe and our baby Gigi are shining the way for us. There is no end to our love for them ... I wish I could embrace, kiss and bless them."
Vanessa thanked millions of fans who sympathize with the families of the victims, saying, "I want to thank my daughters and me for the millions who have shown their support and love during this terrible time. Thank you for all the invitations, we definitely need them," asking for respect for privacy to overcome this new reality.
Vanessa met Cuban during the filming of a video showing the costumes while she was a seventeen-year-old high school student. They were married in 2001 and married six months later. They have Jana and three other girls: Natalia (17), Bianca (3), and Capri (seven). Months).
Kobe's parents did not attend the wedding, in favor of Joe - the father of Kobe, a former NBA professional - an African-American girl over a Latin girl.
The news of Bryant's death - winning two Olympic golds with his national team - made headlines, not only in the United States but throughout the world.
Sadness spread to the European continent equally, especially in Italy, where Bryant spent part of his childhood with his father, who was a professional there.