A federal jury ruled on Wednesday that Los Angeles County must pay $16 million to Kobe Bryant’s widow for photos of the NBA star’s body at the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed him.
The unanimous verdict agreed with Vanessa Bryant and her attorneys that deputies and firefighters taking and sharing photos of Kobe Bryant and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna’s remains invaded her privacy and caused her emotional distress.
Before reaching its decision, the jury deliberated for 4 1/2 hours. Vanessa Bryant sobbed quietly as the letter was read.
The photos were mostly shared by employees of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s and fire departments, as well as some who were playing video games and attending an awards banquet. Some of their spouses also saw them, as did a bartender at a bar where a deputy was drinking.
Vanessa Bryant testified tearfully during the 11-day trial that learning about the photos added to her still-raw grief a month after losing her husband and daughter, and that she still has panic attacks at the thought that they are still out there.
“I live in fear every day of being on social media and these popping up,” she testified. “I live in fear of my daughters being on social media and these popping up.”
