Kobe Bryant Documentary Unearths Police Interview That Challenges His Iconic Legacy

Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest NBA players to grace the court, but his legacy could be questioned following the release of a new documentary that looks at his life and career.

One of the episodes of the series includes details of a newly uncovered interview with a hotel worker who accused the basketballer of sexual assault in 2003.

Kobe died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, alongside his daughter, Gianna Bryant, and seven others, including the pilot.

CNN will release the first episode of its three-part documentary, "Kobe: The Making of a Legend."

The series' first episode focuses on his childhood, exploits as a youth basketballer, and marriage to Vanessa Bryant, which caused tensions between him and his parents and closest advisors.

However, in the second episode, set to premiere on January 31, controversy takes over as it features details of a newly discovered police interview with a 19-year-old hotel staff who claimed Kobe sexually assaulted her in 2003.

In 2003, Kobe was 24, had already hit the heights, and was dazzling in the NBA. In June of that year, he was nursing an injury and went to Eagle Town, Colorado, for a minor knee surgery.

Kobe lodged at the Cordillera Lodge and Spa. There, he met one of the hotel's front desk employees, who showed him to his room after he asked for a personal tour.

The NBA star allegedly asked for a hug and started kissing the female employee. Although the act was consensual, she claimed he started groping her despite her objections and grabbed her by the neck when she tried to break free.

In her interview with the police, the hotel employee gave chilling details of her interaction with Kobe.

Per Independent, she said, "When he took off his pants, that's when I started to kinda back up, and to push his hands off me, and that's when he started to choke me."

A police detective asked the victim how hard Kobe was choking her, and she said, "He wasn't choking me enough that I couldn't breathe, just choking me to the point I was scared."

The woman said she repeatedly told the Los Angeles Lakers star "no," but he tightened his hold around her every time she did.

Kobe initially denied having sex with the young woman in quotes from his interviews with the police, which also featured in the documentary.

Later, Kobe expressed his desire for his wife not to find out and admitted to sleeping with the woman.

He told the police, "I had my right hand like this and my other hand like that." When asked how hard he held her, he replied, "I don't know. My hands are strong. I don't know."

Afterward, Kobe was arrested and charged with sexual assault; his lawyers staged a press conference amid a media frenzy in the tiny Colorado town.

During the conference, he admitted to having sex with the woman but denied sexually assaulting her.

Kobe held hands with his wife, Vanessa, and said he was "furious with myself, disgusted at myself for making a mistake of adultery."

He also expressed his love for Vaness, who he described as his "backbone" and called "a blessing."

Despite fears about Kobe Bryant's career and future following his charge, he had the public on his side.

Two weeks after being charged, he won Male Athlete of the Year at the Teen Choice Awards, with the crowd cheering after his name was announced.

The basketball icon also had unwavering support when his trial started in August 2003. The court's surroundings were filled with fans and supporters while television stations covered the proceedings.

Meanwhile, the woman's identity was revealed during the trials, and she soon began receiving death threats while the press hounded her.

The woman eventually expressed her unwillingness to testify against Kobe, leading to the case's collapse in September 2004.

However, she filed a civil lawsuit against him. Kobe and the woman settled out of court for an unknown fee, reportedly over $2.5 million.

Kobe Bryant documentary Making of a Legend uncovers police interview that complicates legacy
byu/theindependentonline inpopculture

A Redditor shared news about the CNN documentary on the platform, and others took turns commenting on it.

One person shared, "I have trouble with people putting him [Kobe Bryant] on a pedestal & glorifying his legacy. He was a r-pist. I have read the transcript and seen footage of police interviews as well as the forensic psychiatrist they brought in. He r-ped her, had his lawyers attack her and got off with most people forgetting all about it."

A second person added, "Complicates his legacy as a r-pist? It's not complicated."

However, a third person said the "uncovered" interviews were already known information. They wrote, "None of this is new, or 'uncovered.' These police reports were already publicly available. Kobe even trash talked Shaq in the police interview."

A fourth person added, "I truly empathize with his wife and daughters who lost not only their husband and father, but their daughter and sister as well. That being said, he was a r-pist and he doesn’t deserve the pedestal he’s been put on since his passing."