Vanessa Bryant May Be Forced to Take Psych Exam for Lawsuit Over Kobe Bryant Crash Photos
Vanessa Bryant can't get away from legal trouble since the tragic loss of her husband and daughter, Kobe and Gianna Bryant's, deaths. The father-daughter duo perished in a helicopter crash in January 2020. Since then, Vanessa has been fighting the company she deems responsible for the deaths of her loved ones. Seven others also lost their lives in the crash.
LA is trying county is now trying to force Vanessa the other surviving family members of the victims to submit to psychiatric examinations. The exams could help prove that Vanessa and the others suffered emotional distress from photos that were leaked to the public of the aftermath of the crash - or whether the loss of the loved ones caused their emotional distress.
USA Today reports that the company wants a court order to reveal the medical records as part of its defense. In a court filing Friday, Oct. 15, LA county notes that Bryant Vanessa and other surviving family members of the crash are suing the county for "tens of millions of dollars based solely on their claimed 'severe emotional distress.' " They claim the victim's family's distress wasn't caused by the site photos as they "were never publicly disseminated."
"Despite putting their mental condition front and center in this case, Plaintiffs refuse to submit to independent medical examinations (IMEs)," the county states in their filing. "The County brings this motion to compel IMEs of the Plaintiffs, which are necessary to evaluate the existence, extent and nature of Plaintiffs' alleged emotional injuries. Plaintiffs cannot claim that they are suffering from ongoing depression, anxiety and severe emotional distress and then balk at having to support their claims."
On another note, Vanessa was embattled in legal drama with her mother, who accused her of reneging on a deal she claimed Kobe and Vanessa made to financially care for her. The lawsuit was eventually tossed, with Vanessa declaring that her mother was taking advantage of an unfortunate situation and denied that she and Kobe ever promised to maintain her mother's lifestyle.