Following Kobe Bryant‘s death in a helicopter crash on Sunday, Ellen DeGeneres has been among the dozens of celebrities mourning the late NBA legend and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna while also offering Vanessa Bryant her support. Offering emotional words on Twitter, Instagram, and her daytime talk show, fans of DeGeneres have reacted to the various tributes on social media.
In her most recent tribute, DeGeneres responded to Vanessa’s first Instagram post since the crash, writing, “there is so much love in the world for you right now. I hope you can feel it.” The comment immediately had fans growing emotional.
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“Vanessa Bryant’s post has me in tears !!!” wrote one person. “& Ellen’s comment telling her that there is so much love in the world for her right now and she hopes she can feel it !!! Ahhh my heart.”
“All the love from Australia , on hearing of koby’s (sic) passing, all the love to Vanessa and girls, soooo sad to hear , another great person,dad,husband,coach ,great person,gone,” added another. “sooo sad ,!!”
DeGeneres first reacted to Bryant’s death on Jan. 26, the same day as the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of all nine passengers. Taking to Twitter, DeGeneres wrote that “like everyone, I’m stunned and saddened by the news about Kobe Bryant. My heart is broken for his wife and family.”
Just a day later, she spoke out about the crash, which occurred on her birthday, on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
“Yesterday was a celebratory day and we got tragic news about Kobe Bryant and everything changed in a second,” she said. “That’s what I want to talk about: Life is short and it’s fragile. And we don’t know how many birthdays we have. We don’t have to have a birthday to celebrate. Just celebrate life.”
“If you haven’t told someone you love them, do it now,” she urged her viewers. “Tell people you love them. Call your friends. Text your friends. Hug them. Kiss them. Be nice to people at the DMV. They’re people!”
Both of those moments of tribute have also gained reactions from those on social media.
“Beautiful words and truly correct life is too short,” tweeted one Ellen Show viewer.
“Thank you for speaking such powerful truth,” wrote someone else. “Every moment matters!”
Along with Bryant and Gianna, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, girls basketball coach Christina Mauser, Sarah and Payton Chester, and pilot Ara Zobayan also lost their lives.
