Vanessa Bryant has shared several emotional posts on Instagram since the tragic death of her husband, Kobe, and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, last weekend. On Saturday, she added another post, but this is one that she said has actually helped heal her heart.
Bryant shared some beautiful fan art that was created by Reina Koyano and shows Gianna all smiles with a basketball under her arm, a Lakers jacket on, and a Kobe jersey.
“Seeing my babygirl smile and happy again with a basketball under her arm, wrapped in [purple and gold] love just warmed my heart. Thank you for this. @_vivalareina thank you!! My Gigi. #Mambacita,” Vanessa wrote.
“Gigi is in our heart forever. Your sweet Gigi and my oldest are the same age and they both have passion for basket ball. My girlie says that Gigi is shinning upon her and all her team mates. love you Vanessa. Thank you for sharing,” one fan wrote in the comments.
“Captures her heart & happiness so beautifully but also her tenderness. The smile that brought so much joy!” another said.
Vanessa broke her silence about the accident on Wednesday with an Instagram post.
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time,” Vanessa began her post. “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.”
She continued, “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,” Vanessa wrote. “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.”
She concluded: “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.”