Vanessa Laine Bryant

Vanessa Laine Bryant is best known as the wife of late NBA player Kobe Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on January 26, 2020. The legendary basketball player, Kobe, was among the nine people killed in the accident. 

Vanessa’s second eldest daughter Gianna Bryant also met the same fate as her husband. Besides late Gianna, Vanessa is a mother of three other girls.

Vanessa was born as Vanessa Cornejo Urbieta Laine on May 5, 1982, in Los Angeles, California, to Sofia Laine. Although she took her step-father(Stephen Laine)’s last name Laine, she was never adopted by him. 

Bereaved Vanessa Hasn’t Spoken about Kobe’s Death Publicly.

Kobe’s untimely death has devastated his beloved princesses, Vanessa and three girls. He was probably the greatest love of Vanessa’s life.

The celebrated couple had first met during the making of a music video. At that time, 17 years old Vanessa worked as a background dancer, and Kobe was trying his luck as a rapper. Kobe was three years older than Vanessa and instantly fell in love with her.

When teen Vanessa had begun dating the NBA player, she was still a senior student at Marina High School in Huntington Beach. Eventually, Kobe used to drop and pick her up from her school in his Mercedes Benz. What is more, Vanessa began receiving big bunches of roses at school. 

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2005, Vanessa’s step-cousin Laila Laine said;

She said, ‘Guess who I met and guess who called me — Kobe Bryant!’ I said, ‘Sure. Have another drink.’

After dating for nearly six months, the young love couple became engaged in May 2000. Following Vanessa’s engagement with one of the celebrated sports stars, she began attracting the public’s attention. Due to that, she had to complete her study through independent study. 

A year later, the engaged couple decided to be each other’s, life partners. And they did it on April 18, 2001. Their wedding ceremony was held in St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church, located in Dana Point, California.

Vanessa Laine Bryant Shares Four Kids With Her late husband?

Though the marital knot brought happiness to the couple’s lives, her in-laws were not so glad. Kobe’s parents opposed the wedding because Vanessa was not African-American, and Kobe’s decision to marry too early. So, Kobe’s parents and both sisters failed to attend the wedding.

Initially, Vanessa had to take a crash course to handle life as NBA’s wife. She learned to get used to the company of fellow NBA wives, wealth, and paparazzi. In the meantime, Vanessa felt that she had lost her own identity. She remembered not knowing who she was anymore other than the wife of Kobe.

On January 19, 2003, Vanessa gave birth to their first baby girl Natalia Diamante Bryant. The couple welcomed their second baby girl, late Giann, on May 1, 2006.

Their third child Bianka Bella Bryant was born on December 5, 2016. Similarly, Vanessa and Kobe were again blessed with Capri Kobe Bryant’s youngest daughter on June 20, 2019. 

Vanessa Laine Bryant will Inherit Millions from Late Kobe. 

After Kobe’s passing away, Vanessa and her three daughters are probably the sole inheritors. In 2016, Forbes estimated Kobe’s net worth is an astounding $350 million. At present, his net worth has grown to $600 million. Vanessa’s hubby is reported to earn as much as $680 million during his career span.

In 2002, Vanessa and Kobe bought a Mediterranean-style house worth $4 million. Twelve years later, the couple had sold the house located on a cul-de-sac on Newport Coast. Similarly, the couple bought a house in California that was still under construction. The house had cost $9.45 million in total.

Sofia Laine Mother

Kobe Bryant Ex-Husband

Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant Daughter

Natalia Diamante Bryant Daughter

Capri Kobe Bryant Daughter

Bianka Bella Bryant Daughter

Sophie Laine Sister

• Celebrity Widow
• Kobe Bryant