In new court documents, the widow of the late NBA star, who died in a helicopter crash alongside daughter Gianna, slams 'members of the Sheriff's Department' for leaking the pictures.

• Dec 8, 2021

AceShowbiz - Vanessa Bryant opens up about the emotional pain that she experienced after knowing that some people took photos of the helicopter crash site where her husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna's remains were recovered. In new court documents, she slammed "members of the Sheriff's Department" for leaking the pictures.

Obtained by E! News, the court documents filed by Vanessa's attorney saw the widow recalling the moment when she read a Los Angeles Times report that revealed that firefighters and "members of the Sheriff's Department had taken and shared improper photos of the crash victims' remains." She also noted that the photos "became a source of gossip" in the two departments.

"This conduct has caused me tremendous pain and distress," Vanessa added. "It infuriates me that the people I trusted to protect the dignity of my husband and daughter abused their positions to obtain souvenirs of their deaths, as though possessing pictures of their remains somehow makes them special."

The mother of four also shared that she got "overcome with anger and emotion" when imagining how Kobe would have reacted to this. "He never would have let this happen and the wrongdoers never would have dared doing what they did, and I feel it's now my job to protect them by demanding accountability for the people who violated him and our little girl," she explained.

In the docs, Vanessa also said that she was afraid that one day she and her daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri will "be confronted online with the deputies' or firefighters' stash of photos." She explained, "I don't know how me and my daughters would cope. One day, such as when my girls are assigned to research their family tree for a school project, I do not want them searching my husband's and daughter's names to discover photos of their remains."

Vanessa also claimed that she didn't "believe all copies of the photos have been secured." She added, "These deputies and firefighters took the worst thing that has ever happened to me--the worst thing that could happen to any mother or spouse--and made it worse. For the rest of my life, one of two things will happen: either close-up photos of my husband's and daughter's bodies will go viral online, or I will continue to live in fear of that happening."

In response to the filing, Skip Miller, partner at the Miller Barondess law firm and outside counsel for L.A. County issued a statement which read, "While the County sympathizes with Ms. Bryant's tragic loss, it did not cause the crash that claimed the lives of her husband and child."

The statement continued, "Rather, it responded to that crash and, at her specific request, set up a no-fly zone, undertook extensive efforts to keep the public and paparazzi away, and made sure none of the investigative photos were ever publicly disseminated. The County did its job and believes there is no merit to this lawsuit."