Vanessa Bryant is breaking her social media silence that has followed Monday’s Celebration of Life memorial for her husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna Bryant. Bryant took to Instagram on Thursday to showcase a tribute tattoo Kobe’s older sister, Sharia Washington got on her back honoring both Kobe and Gianna following their sudden deaths in a helicopter crash last month.
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In her post, Vanessa shared the photo of Washington’s tattoo — a large image on Washington’s left shoulder blade of a black mamba snake in the shape of an infinity symbol surrounding Gianna and Kobe’s basketball jersey numbers, 2 and 24 — and sent a sweet message to her sister-in-law.
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“Love you [Sharia Washington],” Vanessa wrote, tagging Washington’s Instagram handle and adding the hashtags for their names, Gigi and Kobe.
“2~24 forever,” she concluded.
Washington debuted the tattoo on Wednesday, thanking her tattoo artist in the caption but letting the ink do the talking otherwise. She also turned off comments on the post, although both her tattoo artist and Vanessa have comments enabled, allowing fans to gush over the tribute art.
“It’s BEAUTIFUL,” dancer Allison Holker wrote on Vanessa’s post.
“Now that’s beautiful,” another Instagram user commented.
“Legendary,” another said.
“Dope,” wrote one person. “May Kobe and GiGi rest in heaven [broken heart emojis] beyond heartbreaking. Praying for you and your entire family [Sharia Washington].”
Tattoo artist Peter Barrios wrote that he worked on the tattoo on Tuesday, which was the day after the Staples Center in Los Angeles packed in 20,000 mourners at the celebration of life for Kobe and Gianna. After Beyoncé performed her songs “XO” and “Halo,” Bryant took the rose-covered stage to deliver a heartwrenching eulogy for her husband and daughter.
Washington — as well as Kobe’s other sister Shaya Tabb and their parents, Joe and Pam Bryant — sat in the audience as Bryant waxed poetic about Kobe and Gianna. She first paid tribute to each separately, then spoke about the unbreakable bond Kobe, 41, and Gianna, 13, shared.
“They were so easy to love. Everyone naturally gravitated toward them. They were funny, happy, silly and they loved life. They were so full of joy and adventure,” Vanessa said through tears.
“God knew they couldn’t be on this earth without each other. He had to bring them home to have them together,” she continued, before telling her late husband, “Babe, you take care of our Gigi. And I got Nati, BB and Koko. We’re still the best team.”
“We love and miss you, Boo Boo and Gigi. May you both rest in peace and have fun in heaven until we meet again one day. We love you both and miss you. Forever and always. Mommy.”
