President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the creation of the National Garden of American Heroes, which will pay tribute to generations of black legends like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, and others.
“Today we pay tribute to the generations of black legends, champions, warriors, and patriots who help drive our country forward to greatness,” Trump said <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw2AZK5gEok">during a ceremony</a> in the East Room at the White House to celebrate Black History Month. “And you really are great, great, people.”
“Americans are going to be celebrating something very important coming up &#8212; our 250th anniversary, our nation&#8217;s founding, and when we do, we&#8217;re going to look forward to honoring the contributions of countless black Americans who fought to win and protect and expand American freedom,” he added. “From the very, very beginning.”
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“The last administration tried to reduce all of American history to a single year, 1619, but under our administration, we honor the indispensable role black Americans have always played in the immortal cause of another date, 1776,” Trump continued. “In the very first skirmish of the Revolutionary War at Lexington Green, an enslaved black man named Prince Esterbrook answered history&#8217;s call and fought as the Minute Men alongside the other patriots of the very small Massachusetts town couldn&#8217;t protect itself, but they did a good job.”
The president talked about how Esterbrook was wounded in the battle, becoming not only the first African American soldier to fight in the revolution, but he was “among the very first Americans to spill their blood” before he ended up “joining the Continental Army and ultimately won his own freedom along with that of his fellow Americans.”
“His legacy will endure and we&#8217;re very proud to honor him today,” Trump said. “I&#8217;m pleased to announce that we will be including the statue of Prince Esterbrook in our new National Garden of American Heroes.”
“We&#8217;re going to be doing a garden of American heroes &#8230; under the executive order I signed last month, this new, beautiful outdoor statue park … it&#8217;s going to be unbelievable,” he added. “We&#8217;re picking the final sites now. It&#8217;s between various states that want it very badly. We&#8217;ll honor hundreds of our greatest Americans ever lived, including countless black American icons.”
Trump said during Black History Month, we pay tribute to these heroes and many others “not simply because they&#8217;re black heroes, but also because they are truly American heroes who inspire all of us very much.”
The president listed those who will have a statue in the garden, naming “incredible women like Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Billy Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Coretta Scott King.”
“And I will showcase extraordinary, it will be something very extraordinary. We’re going to produce some of the most beautiful works of art in the form of a statue for men like Frederick Douglas, Booker T. Washington, Jackie Robinson, what a great athlete that was,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali. He&#8217;s not a bad athlete. What do you think, Muhammad, not too bad. And the late Kobe Bryant. People love Kobe Bryant.”
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President Trump Meets With Visiting Israeli PM Netanyahu At The White House

President Trump Announces The National Garden Of American Heroes

Aretha Franklin

Donald Trump

Executive

Kobe Bryant

Rosa Parks

U.S.

White House

A statue in honor of the late-Los Angeles Lakers star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kobe-bryants-widow-wants-to-know-why-nike-is-making-a-shoe-she-designed-honoring-her-deceased-daughter-without-her-consent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kobe Bryant</a> will be unveiled outside the Crypto.com Arena next year following the death of the NBA superstar and his daughter Gianna in January 2020.
Bryant&#8217;s widow Vanessa Bryant posted a video for fans on Thursday morning <a href="https://www.nba.com/lakers/news/lakers-to-unveil-kobe-bryant-statue-on-2-8-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcing</a> that right in the place &#8220;known as the house Kobe built,&#8221; there will be a statue honoring the five-time champion and his 20 years with the Lakers.
&#8220;As you know, Kobe played his entire 20-year NBA career as a Los Angeles Laker,&#8221; Bryant <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/1694734814710997436?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Since arriving in this city and joining the Lakers organization, he felt at home here, playing in the City of Angels.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Vanessa Bryant and the Lakers announced that a statue honoring Kobe Bryant will be unveiled outside &quot;The House That Kobe Built&quot; on 2-8-24 💜💛 <a href="https://t.co/0OG6OhsBjy">pic.twitter.com/0OG6OhsBjy</a>
&mdash; ESPN (@espn) <a href="https://twitter.com/espn/status/1694737646919041407?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;On behalf of the Lakers, my daughters and me, I am so honored that, right in the center of Los Angeles, in front of the place known as the house that Kobe built, we are going to unveil his statue so that his legacy can be celebrated forever,&#8221; she added.
The statue will be officially unveiled on February 8, 2024, with Bryant joining the likes of other famed Lakers who have also been honored with statues — such as Shaquille O’Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Earvin &#8220;Magic&#8221; Johnson.
&#8220;Kobe&#8217;s transcendent spirit is always and forever in our hearts – inspiring us every day,&#8221; Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers Vice president of basketball operations and general manager, said. &#8220;And now, with the unveiling of this powerful and beautiful statue, he will have a physical presence, too. A place on the hallowed ground Kobe created, where we can all gather and pay honor to a mighty and great man.&#8221;
The numbers 2, 8, and 24 definitely have a <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/08/24/kobe-bryant-statue-unveiled-outside-crypto-com-arena-february/?adid=social-tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">significance</a> for the late professional and his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-federal-investigators-reveal-likely-reason-for-helicopter-crash-that-killed-kobe-bryant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">daughter</a>, who was also killed in 2020 when the helicopter they were riding in crashed.
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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kobe-bryants-widow-wants-to-know-why-nike-is-making-a-shoe-she-designed-honoring-her-deceased-daughter-without-her-consent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryant</a> wore the Nos. 8 and 24 on his jersey during his legendary career and Gianna sported the No. 2 during her time on the court, TMZ noted.
&#8220;Kobe Bryant was one of the most extraordinary athletes of all time, and one of the most iconic individuals in the history of Los Angeles,&#8221; Jeanie Buss, Los Angeles Lakers governor, said. &#8220;There is no better place for Kobe to be honored with a statue than here, at the center of our city, where everyone can celebrate him and be inspired by his incredible achievements.&#8221;

4B56460F-02BA-4DD2-9F5B-28B903AC823B_1_201_a

Kobe Bryant Statue To Be Unveiled By Lakers

Celebrities

Death

Los Angeles Lakers

Sports

Natalia Bryant, 19 — citing &#8220;substantial emotional distress&#8221; — has reportedly acquired a temporary restraining order (TRO) against an alleged stalker who is obsessed with both her and guns, according to her team.
Entertainment website TMZ <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/23/kobe-bryant-daughter-natalia-restraining-order-stalker-gun-obsession/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday that a judge had signed off on the order requested by Bryant, who is the daughter of the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/kobe-bryants-daughter-natalia-19-seeks-restraining-order-alleged-stalk-rcna58306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bryant&#8217;s TRO</a> bars 32-year-old Dwayne Cortez Toliver Kemp from coming within 200 yards of her and a number of locations she frequents, including her school — University of Southern California — her sorority house, her car, her job, and her home.
TMZ had previously reported that Bryant was seeking protection from Kemp after he allegedly showed up at her sorority house. She and her team claimed that Kemp is delusional and believes he is in a relationship with her.
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Kobe Bryant&#39;s 19-year-old daughter is scared, and so is the LAPD &#8230; they say a stalker with a criminal history involving guns has been doing everything he can to find her. <a href="https://t.co/c41MPMrGk6">https://t.co/c41MPMrGk6</a>
&mdash; TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1594878042416955392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In the court documents, which TMZ obtained, Bryant alleged that Kemp first contacted her when she was just 17 years old — and he was 30. She claimed that he believed himself to be involved with her romantically, in spite of the fact that she said they had never met and she did not even know who he was.
The situation came to a head when Kemp showed up at her sorority house and even at one of her classes, wandering around the building as he apparently searched for her.
Kemp also allegedly <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/21/kobe-bryant-daughter-natalia-bryant-stalker-guns-restraining-order-stalker/?adid=social-twa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued to send</a> Bryant unwanted overtures via social media — including, she says, a photo of her late father with a message that suggested he wanted Bryant to have his child: &#8220;Thankful For Him Birthing You, Hopefully We Can Birth Him … &#8216;Kobe.’”
According to the court filing, Kemp has a record of at least four misdemeanor arrests and/or convictions  — and at least one firearm-related charge — and he has reportedly asserted that he is in the process of acquiring another gun, possibly an AK-47. He also claimed that he&#8217;d like to purchase a Glock Switch — which is illegal under federal law because it effectively converts a semi-automatic Glock to fully automatic.
The court documents also stated that USC campus police and the Los Angeles Police Department supported Bryant&#8217;s application for the TRO.

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NBA Legend’s Daughter Files Restraining Order Against Alleged Stalker With A Gun Obsession

NBA Legend Kobe Bryant's Daughter Files Restraining Order Against Alleged Stalker With A Gun Obsession

Basketball

Vanessa Bryant, widow of NBA legend <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kobe-bryant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kobe Bryant</a>, plans to donate the $16 million in proceeds she won this week in her invasion of privacy lawsuit against the County of Los Angeles to her late husband&#8217;s sports foundation, her attorney said Thursday.
A federal jury reached the verdict Wednesday, siding with Bryant and her attorneys, that Los Angeles County deputies and firefighters invaded her privacy and brought emotional distress after taking and sharing photos of the bodies of her husband and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna following the fatal crash that killed them and seven others in January 2020.
Chris Chester, Bryant&#8217;s co-plaintiff, was awarded $15 million for photos of his deceased wife and daughter, who were among the nine killed in the helicopter crash.
The Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-08-25/vanessa-bryant-verdict-mamba-mambacita-foundation?consumer=googlenews">reports</a> that Bryant said she would give her portion &#8220;to shine a light on Kobe and Gigi&#8217;s legacy&#8221; to the non-profit Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, which offers sports education to underserved athletes.
“From the beginning, Vanessa Bryant has sought only accountability, but our legal system does not permit her to force better policies, more training or officer discipline,” her attorney Luis Li said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “Those measures are the responsibility of the sheriff&#8217;s and fire departments — responsibilities that Mrs. Bryant&#8217;s efforts have exposed as woefully deficient, even giving amnesty to the wrongdoers.”
Li added that Bryant “never faltered, even when the county attempted to force her to submit to an involuntary psychiatric examination.”
In September 2020, Bryant filed the suit in U.S. District Court, claiming that the photos of the deceased allegedly taken by authorities at the crash scene and then shared at various events have caused her emotional distress.
Eyewitnesses Ralph Mendez and Luella Weireter complained to the Sheriff&#8217;s Department and Fire Department and reported that deputies and firefighters in Norwalk and Universal City were sharing the graphic images.
Bryant&#8217;s attorney said she is “deeply grateful” to the two private citizens who came forward.
Li said the pair “brought to light the decades-old practice of taking and sharing photos of accident and crime victims for no legitimate purpose,” adding that Bryant hopes the civil rights case will stop future “abhorrent and callous behavior.”
The lawyers said it is unknown how far the images spread because the county did not conduct a proper investigation.
During the trial, Bryant reportedly said she lives in “fear every day of being on social media and these popping up.”
“I live in fear of my daughters being on social media and these popping up,” Bryant said.
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed an invasion of privacy bill after the fatal accident, called the “Kobe Bryant Act.” The bill makes it illegal for first responders to share photos of a deceased individual at a crime scene “for any other purpose other than official law enforcement purpose.”

US-BASKET-KOBE-BRYANT-COURT

Vanessa Bryant To Donate $16 Million Verdict Proceeds To Kobe Bryant Sports Foundation

Los Angeles County

A federal jury unanimously voted Wednesday to award Vanessa Bryant $16 million in her invasion of privacy lawsuit against the County of Los Angeles regarding photos allegedly taken of her late husband <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kobe-bryant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kobe Bryant</a> following the fatal crash that killed the NBA star, her daughter, and seven others in January 2020.
Nine jurors reached the verdict, siding with Bryant and her attorneys, that Los Angeles County deputies and firefighters invaded her privacy and brought emotional distress after taking and sharing photos of the bodies of her husband and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
“I live in fear every day of being on social media and these popping up,” she testified, according to <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/vanessa-bryant-lawsuit-verdict/40984146">KCRA</a>. “I live in fear of my daughters being on social media and these popping up.”
Chris Chester, Bryant’s co-plaintiff, was awarded $15 million for photos taken of his wife and daughter, who were among the nine killed in the helicopter crash.
ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/jury-reaches-verdict-trial-kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash/story?id=88794432&amp;cid=social_twitter_abcn">reports</a> that Chester told the jury Thursday on the witness stand that he was in &#8220;disbelief&#8221; after hearing reports about the photos taken of his wife Sarah, and their 13-year-old daughter, Payton.
&#8220;It was grief on top of grief,&#8221; he said, calling for &#8220;justice and accountability.&#8221;
In September 2020, Bryant filed the suit in U.S. District Court, claiming that the photos of the deceased allegedly taken by authorities at the crash scene and then shared at various events have caused her emotional distress.
“Mrs. Bryant feels ill at the thought that sheriff’s deputies, firefighters, and members of the public have gawked at gratuitous images of her deceased husband and child,” according to the lawsuit, Reuters noted. “She lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online.”
Bryant’s suit sought undisclosed damages, claiming civil rights violations, negligence, emotional distress, and violation of privacy, CNN reported.
L.A. County officials have argued that Bryant’s “severe and emotional and mental injuries” came from the crash itself rather than the photos.
In September 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed an invasion of privacy bill after the fatal accident, called the “Kobe Bryant Act.” The bill makes it illegal for first responders to share photos of a deceased body at a crime scene “for any other purpose other than official law enforcement purpose.”

The Celebration of Life for Kobe & Gianna Bryant

Vanessa Bryant Wins Lawsuit Over Kobe’s Death-Scene Photos; Awarded Millions

Vanessa Bryant Awarded Millions In Kobe's Death-Scene Photos Verdict

Crime

Los Angeles

Vanessa Bryant broke down in tears as she testified in her invasion of privacy lawsuit surrounding photos allegedly taken of her late husband Kobe Bryant following the fatal crash that killed the NBA star, her daughter and seven others in January 2020.
The <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/10/us/kobe-vanessa-bryant-lawsuit/index.html">jury</a>, made up of six women and four men, heard Bryant testify Friday as she sobbed while recalling the pain she felt when she learned about the leaked photos involving her late husband, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/vanessa-bryant-rcna43844">NBC News</a> reported in a story published Friday.
&#8220;I felt like I wanted to run down the block and scream,&#8221; Bryant shared. &#8220;I can&#8217;t escape my body. I can&#8217;t escape what I feel.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW: Vanessa Bryant says she felt “blindsided, devastated, hurt and betrayed” after photos leaked of the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant.
“I live in fear every day of seeing on social media and having these images pop up.” <a href="https://t.co/ePKGWRE00D">https://t.co/ePKGWRE00D</a>
&mdash; NBC News (@NBCNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1560670609830547457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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She also explained how she felt &#8220;blindsided, devastated, hurt and betrayed&#8221; by county employees who allegedly leaked the photos, while admitting she hasn&#8217;t seen them and never wants to.
&#8220;I want to remember them as they were,&#8221; Vanessa shared. &#8220;I live in fear everyday of seeing on social media and having these images pop up.&#8221;
Bryant&#8217;s suit against the Los Angeles County sheriff&#8217;s and fire departments involves &#8220;gratuitous&#8221; and &#8220;horrific&#8221; images allegedly taken by first responders at the site of helicopter crash that killed the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kobe-bryant">late NBA legend</a>, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trial-begins-in-kobe-bryant-death-photos-case">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.
In September 2020, Bryant filed the suit in U.S. District Court, claiming that the photos of the deceased allegedly taken by authorities at the crash scene and then shared at various events has caused her emotional distress.
&#8220;Mrs. Bryant feels ill at the thought that sheriff&#8217;s deputies, firefighters, and members of the public have gawked at gratuitous images of her deceased husband and child,&#8221; according to the lawsuit, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/trial-over-kobe-bryant-crash-photos-begins-2022-08-10/">Reuters</a> noted. &#8220;She lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online.&#8221;
Bryant&#8217;s suit seeks undisclosed damages, claiming civil rights violations, negligence, emotional distress, and violation of privacy, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/10/us/kobe-vanessa-bryant-lawsuit/index.html">CNN</a> reported.
L.A. County officials have argued that Bryant&#8217;s &#8220;severe and emotional and mental injuries&#8221; came from the crash itself rather than the photos.
In September 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) signed an invasion of privacy bill after the fatal accident called the &#8220;Kobe Bryant Act.&#8221; The bill makes it illegal for first responders to share photos of a deceased body at a crime scene &#8220;for any other purpose other than official law enforcement purpose.&#8221;
Those found guilty of the misdemeanor crime could receive charges up to $1,000 per violation.
Brandon Drey contributed to this report.

Kobe And Vanessa Bryant

Vanessa Bryant Breaks Down On The Stand As She Testifies In Kobe Bryant Death Photo Lawsuit

Entertainment

Sheriff

Vanessa Bryant&#8217;s invasion of privacy lawsuit against the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles-county">Los Angeles County</a> sheriff&#8217;s and fire departments began Wednesday over explicit photos allegedly taken by first responders of her late husband <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kobe-bryant">Kobe Bryant&#8217;s</a> fatal helicopter crash that killed the NBA legend, their daughter Giana, and seven others in January 2020.
Bryant&#8217;s lawsuit, which she filed in U.S. District Court in September 2020, centers around photos of the deceased that L.A. County authorities allegedly took and then shared at a bar and other public events. Bryant argues the invasion of privacy has caused emotional distress to the widow of one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history.
&#8220;Mrs. Bryant feels ill at the thought that sheriff&#8217;s deputies, firefighters, and members of the public have gawked at gratuitous images of her deceased husband and child,&#8221; according to the lawsuit, per <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/trial-over-kobe-bryant-crash-photos-begins-2022-08-10/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>. “She lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online.&#8221;
TMZ <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/08/10/kobe-bryant-vanessa-bryant-helicopter-crash-photo-trial-sheriff-deputies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> Bryant broke into tears during her lawyer&#8217;s opening statements. Her lawyer said the eight L.A. County sheriff&#8217;s deputies who took the photos of the bodies of her late husband and child took the pictures &#8220;for a laugh like they were souvenirs,&#8221; adding it &#8220;poured salt in an unhealable wound.&#8221;
Bryant&#8217;s attorney said Bryant lives &#8220;in fear, anxiety, and terror,&#8221; and the sheriff&#8217;s actions will forever haunt her.
CNN <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/10/us/kobe-vanessa-bryant-lawsuit/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> the lawsuit seeks undisclosed damages, claiming civil rights violations, negligence, emotional distress, and violation of privacy.
However, L.A. county officials argued that Bryant&#8217;s &#8220;severe and emotional and mental injuries&#8221; came from the crash itself rather than the photos.
Rob Pelinka, general manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, took the stand Wednesday and could barely speak about his relationship with his former employee and late friend, according to TMZ.
Pelinka said he received the news about Bryant&#8217;s helicopter crash while in church before leaving in a rush to meet Mrs. Bryant at John Wayne Airport, where they would fly to the crash site in Calabasas, California.
He said Bryant has fought to keep the photos private from the public eye to protect the impact it could have on her daughters.
Following the fatal accident, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an invasion-of-privacy bill called the &#8220;Kobe Bryant Act&#8221; in September 2020. The bill makes it illegal for first responders to share photos of a deceased body at a crime scene &#8220;for any other purpose other than official law enforcement purpose.&#8221;
Those found guilty of the misdemeanor crime could receive charges up to $1,000 per violation.
CNN reports the jury includes six women and four men — a nun, an NBC Universal employee, and a college student. Also seated on the jury are a real estate investor, a pharmaceutical researcher, a computer science professor, and a restaurant host.
Bryant&#8217;s trial could last about two weeks, which would likely include witness testimony from L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.
Villanueva said two months after the crash that the eight sheriff&#8217;s deputies responsible for allegedly taking and sharing the photos faced administrative action and have since deleted the photos.

Los Angeles Lakers Legend Kobe Bryant Memorialized Across L.A. In Murals

Trial Begins In Kobe Bryant Death Photos Case

Alex Villanueva

California

A federal judge has ordered that Vanessa Bryant, widow of NBA star Kobe Bryant, must turn over her private therapy records dating from 2017 onward as part of her ongoing lawsuit against Los Angeles County over photos taken of the helicopter crash that killed her husband and 13-year-old daughter.
Business Insider <a href="https://www.insider.com/judge-vanessa-bryant-must-share-four-years-of-therapy-records-2021-11?utm_source=facebook&amp;utm_medium=news_tab">reported</a> that the revelation was included in new court documents, which were in response to a previous motion made by L.A. County.
As The Daily Wire previously reported, L.A. County filed a motion requesting Bryant and the family members of other crash victims take a psychiatric exam to prove that their mental distress was due to the crash photos and not distress over the loss of their loved ones.
Bryant’s attorneys wrote in a court filing that the county is seeking psychiatric evaluations for family members of other crash victims. Including “four teenagers, a 10-year-old child, and a 5-year-old kindergartener.”
“Plaintiffs cannot claim that they are suffering from ongoing depression, anxiety and severe emotional distress and then balk at having to support their claims,” the county wrote in a motion, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/la-county-wants-vanessa-bryant-take-psych-evaluation-suit-over-n1281717">according to NBC News</a>.
Attorneys for Bryant in their own court filing called the county’s demands an attempt at “scorched-earth discovery tactics designed to bully Plaintiffs into abandoning their pursuit of accountability.”
The county, according to NBC, is arguing that it was the crash itself that caused Bryant emotional distress and not crash photographs.
In return, Bryant’s attorneys argue that “It does not take an expert—and it certainly does not take an involuntary eight-hour psychiatric examination—for a jury to assess the nature and extent of the emotional distress caused by Defendants’ misconduct.”
As Business  Insider reported this week, L.A. County requested Bryant provide private therapy records from 2010 onward. Bryant’s husband, Kobe, and 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, died in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020.
Judge Charles Eick wrote in his ruling that the “requests are plainly relevant to the claims and defenses herein and, as narrowed by this order, the requests are proportional to the needs of the case.”
&#8220;Plaintiff has waived her psychotherapist-patient privilege by placing into controversy the reportedly extraordinary, continuing emotional distress allegedly resulting from Defendants&#8217; photograph-related actions or inactions,&#8221; Eick added.
Earlier this month, Eick denied L.A. County’s request to make Vanessa Bryant undergo the psychiatric exam, but the County then sought her private therapy records for the decade prior to the crash as well as any records since the crash, which Eick granted.
&#8220;The County continues to have nothing but the deepest sympathy for the enormous grief Ms. Bryant suffered as a result of the tragic helicopter accident,&#8221; Skip Miller, who is working as outside counsel for LA County, told Buisiness Insider. &#8220;We are gratified that the Court has granted our motion for access to her medical records, as it is a standard request in lawsuits where a plaintiff demands millions of dollars for claims of emotional distress.&#8221;

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Judge Orders Vanessa Bryant To Provide Private Therapy Records As Part Of Lawsuit Over Kobe Bryant Crash Photos

Vanessa Bryant, whose husband Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna died in a tragic helicopter crash in January 2020, is being asked to take a psychiatric exam to prove that she suffered emotional distress after photos of the crash scene were taken by county employees.
Insider <a href="https://www.insider.com/la-county-wants-vanessa-bryant-take-psychiatric-exam-before-trial-2021-10">reported</a> that Los Angeles County, which is being sued by Bryant, is demanding that Bryant and the family members, including children, of other crash victims take the psychiatric exam. Bryant’s attorneys wrote in a court filing that the county is seeking psychiatric evaluations for family members of other crash victims. Including &#8220;four teenagers, a 10-year-old child, and a 5-year-old kindergartener.&#8221;
&#8220;Plaintiffs cannot claim that they are suffering from ongoing depression, anxiety and severe emotional distress and then balk at having to support their claims,&#8221; the county wrote in a motion, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/la-county-wants-vanessa-bryant-take-psych-evaluation-suit-over-n1281717">according to NBC News</a>.
Attorneys for Bryant in their own court filing called the county’s demands an attempt at “scorched-earth discovery tactics designed to bully Plaintiffs into abandoning their pursuit of accountability.&#8221;
The county, according to NBC, is arguing that it was the crash itself that caused Bryant emotional distress and not crash photographs.
In return, Bryant’s attorneys argue that &#8220;It does not take an expert—and it certainly does not take an involuntary eight-hour psychiatric examination—for a jury to assess the nature and extent of the emotional distress caused by Defendants&#8217; misconduct.”
In March, Insider reported, Bryant “<a href="https://www.insider.com/vanessa-bryant-wins-case-obtain-names-officers-photographed-helicopter-crash-2021-3">won a lawsuit to get the names of four officers</a> who allegedly took pictures of the crashed helicopter.” She later posted the names of the officers on Instagram.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vanessa-bryant-settles-wrongful-death-lawsuit-with-helicopter-company-involved-in-husbands-fatal-crash">reported</a>, Bryant also won a wrongful death lawsuit in June against the helicopter company. From The Daily Wire:
<blockquote>The wrongful death lawsuit following the accident that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant in January 2020, was settled on Tuesday. Vanessa Bryant, who filed the suit along with members of the families of the seven other people killed in the January helicopter crash, agreed to settle the lawsuit against the pilot and the helicopter company. 
According to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-22/vanessa-bryant-others-settle-lawsuit-with-helicopter-firm-in-kobe-bryant-crash">L.A. Times</a>, “the helicopter company and insurers filed ‘joint notice of settlement and joint request to vacate discovery deadlines’ documents with the court on Tuesday.”</blockquote>
It is also not the first time Los Angeles County has taken an adversarial approach to Bryant, a grieving widow. In May of this year, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/l-a-county-attorneys-say-vanessa-bryant-turned-a-straightforward-case-regarding-kobe-bryant-crash-photos-into-a-fishing-expedition">reported</a>, the county argued that Bryant had taken a “straightforward” case and turned it into a “fishing expedition” after her attorneys requested an additional six months for discovery in order to execute more depositions and compile more evidence.
“This straightforward case, with undisputed facts, has turned into a fishing expedition that is taking first responders away from their job – and subject [sic] them to public harassment and threats,” the county said in its court filing at the time. “Defendants are eager to have their day in Court and put an end to this.”
“Plaintiff has not been diligent,” the county added. “Instead, Plaintiff has stalled the forensic examination for seven months, sought irrelevant and unnecessary discovery, expanded the scope of discovery beyond what this case requires, engaged in nonsensical meet and confer efforts, and needlessly delated setting depositions, conducting discovery and even filing this Motion.”
Bryant argues in her lawsuit that multiple sheriff’s deputies improperly took photos of the crash scene, alleging one deputy took 25 to 100 photos on his personal cell phone for reasons unrelated to the case. In total, Bryant alleges that at least eight deputies took inappropriate photos of the crash with their cell phones. Bryant further alleges that the deputies who took photos were not directly involved in the investigation and therefore had no legitimate purpose for taking or disseminating the photos.
“It is undisputed that only government personnel and one friend saw the photographs in question,” Bryant’s attorneys allege in their lawsuit. “There has been no public dissemination – nothing in the media, nothing on the Internet.”
Further, the lawsuit states that another sheriff’s deputy “boasted” to a local bartender about responding to the scene. This deputy showed photos of the crash that had been sent by another deputy. The photos showed Kobe Bryant’s body as well as that of a young girl, according to the lawsuit. This bartender then told patrons about the crash, prompting them to file a complaint with the Sheriff’s Department, the lawsuit states.

L.A. County Wants Vanessa Bryant To Take Psychiatric Exam To Prove She Was Distressed Over Kobe Bryant Crash Photos

The wrongful death lawsuit following the accident that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant in January 2020, was settled on Tuesday. Vanessa Bryant, who filed the suit along with members of the families of the seven other people killed in the January helicopter crash, agreed to settle the lawsuit against the pilot and the helicopter company. 
According to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-06-22/vanessa-bryant-others-settle-lawsuit-with-helicopter-firm-in-kobe-bryant-crash">L.A. Times</a>, “the helicopter company and insurers filed ‘joint notice of settlement and joint request to vacate discovery deadlines’ documents with the court on Tuesday.”
Bryant and his 13-year old daughter, Gianna, were flying from Orange County along with six other passengers when the helicopter entered a thick fog in the mountains outside of Los Angeles. The pilot of the aircraft — Ara Zobayan — reportedly climbed to get out of the clouds but crashed into the mountains, killing all nine people onboard. 
The suit, filed against Island Express Holding Corp. and Island Express Helicopters, alleged that Zobayan failed “to use ordinary care in piloting the subject aircraft” during the crash. 
The National Transportation Safety Board determined in February that the decision to fly in cloudy conditions was the cause of the crash. The NTSB also noted that Zobayan “likely” felt pressure to get Bryant to his destination, contributing to the crash. 
Vanessa Bryant’s suit claims that “Island Express Helicopters authorized, directed and/or permitted a flight with full knowledge that the subject helicopter was flying into unsafe weather conditions.” The complaint also alleges that Bryant died  “as a direct result of the negligent conduct of Zobayan,” for which “the company is vicariously liable in all respects.”
The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed, though Island Express Helicopters denied responsibility, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/31689384/vanessa-bryant-families-other-crash-victims-agree-settle-lawsuit-vs-pilot-estate-helicopter-company">calling</a> the crash “an act of God” it couldn’t control.  
While the settlement against the pilot and helicopter company is now concluded, it does not put an end to the lawsuits resulting from the crash. 
In May, Bryant filed court documents as part of an invasion of privacy lawsuit against Los Angeles County. 
The lawsuit alleges that according to a Sheriff’s Department investigatory <a href="https://nba.nbcsports.com/2021/03/19/vanessa-bryant-names-officers-who-allegedly-shared-photos-in-ig-post/">report</a>, one deputy took 25 to 100 photos of the crash site — including Bryant&#8217;s body — on his personal cell phone and that at least eight deputies took other photos at the site of the crash. 
Two Los Angeles County firefighters were also named in the suit and could be fired, while a third firefighter could be suspended after it was discovered they’d allegedly taken and shared graphic photos from the crash site. 
An internal investigation found the two had taken photos of the bodies that “served no business necessity” and “only served to appeal to baser instincts and desires for what amounted to visual gossip.”
As reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-la-county-sheriffs-office-embroiled-in-coverup-of-kobe-bryant-crash-site-photos">The Daily Wire</a>, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has been accused of attempting to cover up the actions of the Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies. Villanueva admitted to ordering deputies to delete photos of the crash due to concern that they would be leaked to the public or to the media.
“Had we done the original, usual routine, which was relieve everybody of duty and everybody lawyers up and all that, that would increase the odds 10-fold that those photos would have somehow made their way into the public domain,” Villanueva told NBC News in March 2020. “And that’s definitely what we do not want.”
Vanessa Bryant spoke in place of her deceased husband in May as Kobe Bryant was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Ceremony

Vanessa Bryant Settles Wrongful Death Lawsuit With Helicopter Company Involved In Husband’s Fatal Crash

Vanessa Bryant, whose husband Kobe and 13-year-old daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash in January 2020, says Nike appears to be selling a shoe she designed in honor of her late daughter &#8212; a shoe she did not authorize the athletics company to sell.
Bryant made the allegations against the company in an Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPpiiCjDQRJ/">post</a>, explaining the situation along with photos of people apparently wearing the shoe she designed.
“This is a shoe I worked on in honor of my daughter, Gianna. It was going to be called the MAMBACITA shoe as an exclusive black and white colorway on her daddy’s shoes. I picked the colors in honor of her uniform, the number 2 she wore just like her uniform, the inside pattern, Kobe and Gigi on the back in gold instead of Kobe’s signature, the inside shoe details (butterfly, wings, halo), etc.,” Bryant wrote. “The MAMBACITA shoes are NOT approved for sale. I wanted it to be sold to honor my daughter with ALL of the proceeds benefiting our [Mamba &amp; Mambacita Sports Foundation but I did not re-sign the Nike contract and decided not to sell these shoes. (The MAMBACITA shoes were not approved to be made in the first place.)
“Nike has NOT sent any of these pairs to me and my girls,” Bryant continued. “I do not know how someone else has their hands on shoes I designed in honor of my daughter, Gigi and we don’t. I hope these shoes did not get sold.”
Bryant also asked if “someone can share how they have these shoes in their possession,” since she and her daughters do not have their own pairs.
Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, were killed in a helicopter accident early last year. The National Transportation Safety Board <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/09/965849491/ntsb-says-pilot-had-spatial-disorientation-in-kobe-bryant-helicopter-crash">investigated</a> the crash and determined the pilot became disoriented in the bad weather, causing the crash that killed nine people.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/l-a-county-attorneys-say-vanessa-bryant-turned-a-straightforward-case-regarding-kobe-bryant-crash-photos-into-a-fishing-expedition">reported</a>, attorneys for L.A. County said Vanessa Bryant has turned a “straightforward” case regarding the improper distribution of photos from the helicopter crash into a “fishing expedition.”
In the wake of the tragic helicopter crash, sheriff’s deputies released photos of the crash wreckage, a move that resulted in a lawsuit from Bryant. Lawyers for Los Angeles County now say that Bryant has turned what should have been a “straightforward” case into a “fishing expedition,” according to court documents <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/vanessa-bryant-los-angeles-county-lawsuit-wreckage-photos-fishing-expedition-prosecution">reviewed</a> by Fox News.
The claim came in the county’s response to Bryant’s attorneys requesting an extra six months for discovery in order to execute more depositions and compile more evidence.
“This straightforward case, with undisputed facts, has turned into a fishing expedition that is taking first responders away from their job – and subject [sic] them to public harassment and threats,” the court filing says. “Defendants are eager to have their day in Court and put an end to this.”
Further, L.A. county attorneys argued that the court should deny Bryant’s request and said she has been delaying the proceedings.

Kobe Bryant’s Widow Wants To Know Why Nike Is Making A Shoe She Designed Honoring Her Deceased Daughter Without Her Consent

Nike

On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people were killed when a helicopter crashed due to “pilot error.”
In the wake of the tragic event, sheriff’s deputies released photos of the crash wreckage, a move that resulted in a lawsuit from Bryant’s widow, Vanessa. Lawyers for Los Angeles County now say that Bryant has turned what should have been a “straightforward” case into a “fishing expedition,” according to court documents <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/vanessa-bryant-los-angeles-county-lawsuit-wreckage-photos-fishing-expedition-prosecution">reviewed</a> by Fox News.
The claim came in the county’s response to Bryant’s attorneys requesting an extra six months for discovery in order to execute more depositions and compile more evidence.
&#8220;This straightforward case, with undisputed facts, has turned into a fishing expedition that is taking first responders away from their job – and subject [sic] them to public harassment and threats,&#8221; the court filing says. &#8220;Defendants are eager to have their day in Court and put an end to this.&#8221;
Further, L.A. county attorneys argued that the court should deny Bryant’s request and said she has been delaying the proceedings.
&#8220;Plaintiff has not been diligent,&#8221; the filing states. &#8220;Instead, Plaintiff has stalled the forensic examination for seven months, sought irrelevant and unnecessary discovery, expanded the scope of discovery beyond what this case requires, engaged in nonsensical meet and confer efforts, and needlessly delated setting depositions, conducting discovery and even filing this Motion.&#8221;
Bryant argues in her lawsuit that multiple sheriff’s deputies improperly took photos of the crash scene, alleging one deputy took 25 to 100 photos on his personal cell phone for reasons unrelated to the case. In total, Bryant alleges that at least eight deputies took inappropriate photos of the crash with their cell phones. Bryant further alleges that the deputies who took photos were not directly involved in the investigation and therefore had no legitimate purpose for taking or disseminating the photos.
&#8220;It is undisputed that only government personnel and one friend saw the photographs in question,&#8221; Bryant’s attorneys allege in their lawsuit. &#8220;There has been no public dissemination – nothing in the media, nothing on the Internet.&#8221;
Bryant’s lawsuit also states that one sheriff’s deputy assigned to work on the crash obtained photos of the wreckage from fire department personnel and then shared them with someone who wasn’t part of the investigation. Bryant’s lawsuit alleges this was done “for no reason other than morbid gossip.”
Further, the lawsuit states that another sheriff’s deputy “boasted” to a local bartender about responding to the scene. This deputy showed photos of the crash that had been sent by another deputy. The photos showed Kobe Bryant’s body as well as that of a young girl, according to the lawsuit. This bartender then told patrons about the crash, prompting them to file a complaint with the Sheriff’s Department, the lawsuit states.
Fox reported that L.A. County “had provided Bryant and her legal team with more than 20,000 pages of related documents, including the Sheriff’s Department’s Internal Affairs Bureau Report and a draft forensic protocol.”
The county now argues that Bryant “does not need, nor is she entitled to, over 50 depositions.”
&#8220;The parties know who took accident site photographs, who they were shared with, and when they were deleted. That is what this case is about. It is not about what Plaintiff perceives to be inadequacies in the County’s internal investigations and personnel decisions regarding the photographs,&#8221; attorneys for the county wrote.

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