Vanessa Bryant awarded $16 million by jury over crash photos

Mar 10, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Vanessa Bryant , wife of Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (not pictured), attends the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Vanessa Bryant was awarded $16 million on Wednesday by a federal jury over her lawsuit against the County of Los Angeles.

Bryant, who was joined by co-plaintiff Chris Chester in her lawsuit, was suing the county over first responders sharing photos of the crash site where her husband Kobe and daughter, Gianna, died in a January 2020 helicopter crash.

Bryant argued the L.A. County sheriff’s and fire departments employees who took the photos and circulated them among friends had caused her emotional distress and violated her privacy. Even though these photos were not circulated publicly, Bryant said knowing they existed and had been shared privately were highly troubling for her.

The trial in the case lasted for 11 days. The jury took 4.5 hours to deliberate before delivering their decision on Wednesday.

In addition to the monetary award to Bryant, Chester was awarded $15 million.

Nine people died in the Jan. 26, 2020 crash, including Chester’s wife and daughter.