Vanessa Bryant wins lawsuit against ex-president of Kobe’s company

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 has been through several legal battles since her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash, and she emerged victorious in the latest.

Molly Carter, the former president of Kobe Inc., claimed in a 2019 lawsuit that Kobe promised her a 2% cut of a massive investment return he earned in the sports drink company BodyArmor. The Los Angeles Lakers legend had purchased a 10 percent stake in the company for $6 million in 2013. BodyArmor later sold to Coca-Cola for $5.6 billion, making Kobe’s investment worth $400 million.

Six months before Kobe died, Carter sued the former NBA star, claiming Bryant owed her the 2% he promised. Kobe had said he never made such a promise. Vanessa took over the lawsuit after Kobe’s death and filed a counterclaim, according to TMZ.

In the countersuit, Vanessa claimed Carter violated the non-disparagement clause in her employment contract with Kobe Inc. by talking negatively about Bryant and his family. Vanessa claimed in an arbitration hearing that Carter referred to Kobe with insults like “a–hole” and “douche nugget.” Molly was also accused of calling Vanessa the “f—ing devil” and saying Kobe and Vanessa’s newborn child had “botox lips.”

Vanessa prevailed in arbitration and was awarded more than $1.5 million in attorney fees. TMZ obtained documents showing that Bryant’s legal team has asked an Orange County Superior Court judge to ratify the arbitration award.

Vanessa was also awarded a large sum of money last year by a federal jury after she filed a lawsuit over first responders sharing photos of the helicopter crash site.