Vanessa Bryant Breaks Silence On $31 Million Verdict In Lawsuit Against LA County: 'JUSTICE'

Vanessa Bryant has won her lawsuit against Los Angeles County, its Sheriff Department, its Fire Department, and eight other officers. The widow of Kobe Bryant filed an invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against the County for taking and distributing graphic photos of the crash site where she lost her husband and daughter Gianna.

The trial for the lawsuit began on August 10 and lasted for eleven days before the jury reached a verdict in Vanessa and her co-plaintiff, Chris Chester's favor! Chester lost his wife Sarah Chester, and their 13-year-old daughter Payton.

On Wednesday, ten jury members in U.S. District Judge John F. Walter‘s courtroom came to a unanimous decision that the County and its officials mishandled the photos from the crash scene where Bryant and Chester lost their loved ones.

The jury awarded a total of $31 million in damages to be shared among both parties, concluding the end of the two-week trial. Bryant was given a total of $16 million, while Chester was awarded $15 million.

For the mother-of-four, she would receive $2.5 million for emotional distress suffered in the past alongside $7.5 million for future suffering, which would be paid by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Vanessa will also receive an additional $6 million from the Los Angeles County Fire Department — $1 million for past suffering and $5 million for future suffering.

Chester, on the other hand, would receive $9 million from the Sheriff's department — $1.5 million for past suffering and $7.5 million for future suffering — as well as $6 million from the fire department.

According to Law Crime & News, senior reporter Meghann Cuniff, Vanessa broke down in tears as the jury read the verdict while mouthing the words "thank you" to them from her seat. She also hugged her attorney Luis Li.

However, it wasn't a complete win for the co-plaintiffs as the jury did not find that the fire department has a custom or practice of sharing photos of deceased people, only that it lacks sufficient training and policies. They did, however, conclude that the sheriff's department has a practice.

Following the verdict, Vanessa, who has majorly been on an Instagram hiatus during the trial — apart from Kobe's posthumous 44th birthday tribute — broke her silence with a heartwarming post. The socialite shared a heart-melting photo of her late husband and daughter.

Vanessa was seen in the middle of Kobe and Gigi, hugging them, as the trio smiled brightly for the camera. In the accompanying caption, she wrote, "All for you! I love you! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi! #Betonyourself #MambaDay 8•24•22 💜💛💜💛 #MambaMentality."

The win comes at a very sentimental time for Vanessa as yesterday was Kobe's posthumous 44th birthday and Wednesday, August 24, when the verdict was given, is #MambaDay.

The post was bombarded with comments from fans and colleagues who celebrated the good news. Kim Zolciak Biermann wrote, "The Ultimate Victory! So proud of you ❤️," while many others dropped yellow and purple heart emojis.

It seems the jury followed the recommendation of Chester's lawyer Jerry Jackson who, in his closing argument, gave a figure for the damages award. As The Blast reported, Jackson suggested $2.5 million in damages to both Bryant and Chester. He also recommended a range of $100,000 to $1 million in damages for each year of future suffering for both plaintiffs.