Kobe Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, has filed for a divorce, ending the couple’s 10 and a half year marriage. The court papers list the typical “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the divorce, but many people believe rumors of Kobe’s cheating pushed her over the edge.
Kobe of course admitted to having sex with a hotel clerk in Eagle, Colorado in 2004. He bought Vanessa a $4 million apology ring and she decided to stick with him. Since then, we’ve heard reports that Kobe was fooling with a Lakers girl (also named Vanessa), and that he was hit with a paternity suit. And of course there was the June lawsuit a woman filed against Kobe, claiming he breached a promise to marry her.
Apparently it’s all too much for Vanessa, and not even a giant apology ring will help this time. They’ve filed for joint custody, and Vanessa is entitled to spousal support. There was no prenuptial agreement, meaning Vanessa will likely receive half of the couple’s wealth.
The Bean met Vanessa in 1999 when she was a 17-year-old dancer in a music video. They got married two years later, and we felt all along it was a bad idea. Now it’s one that will cost Kobe deeply — both financially and emotionally. Maybe it’s part of the reason he has been so upset lately.
