Vanessa Bryant sued the County of Los Angeles over first responders taking photos of the crash site where her late husband Kobe and daughter, Gianna, died and later sharing them in an unauthorized manner. Now, the county is striking back.
The county is asking Bryant and the family members of those who died in the Jan. 26, 2020 helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. to undergo psychiatric evaluations. The exams are intended to determine whether Vanessa and her family suffered “emotional distress” as a result of the photos being taken and shared.
Vanessa sued the county and alleged she suffered “emotional distress” from the photos being taken and shared despite the pictures never being released publicly. The county understands the emotional damage the helicopter crash caused the family members of the deceased. However, they would like Vanessa to prove she suffered severe negative consequences specifically from the photos.
The County of Los Angeles accused Vanessa of making a “money grab” with her lawsuit.
“It’s horrific, the worst imaginable,” attorneys for the county said in a statement released on Monday. “But she sued the County for something that didn’t happen. There’s been no public disclosure of crash site photos, none. So we see this case as a money grab and are doing what’s necessary to defend our client.”
Vanessa has been involved in numerous lawsuits since her late husband’s death. She sued the county over the photos. She filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company. She was also involved in a lawsuit with her mother, though that was recently resolved (details here).
Vanessa, 39, was married to Kobe from 2001 until his death. They had four daughters together, though Gianna died in the helicopter crash.
Photo: 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
