Sunday morning, Vanessa Bryant brought smiles to the faces of her friends and followers with a photo of her daughter Capri. She had the 10-month-old sitting on her lap, and she was kissing her forehead. This image was more of a candid photo than one that was professionally-captured, but the fans appreciated that it provided a glimpse into Bryant’s life.
“I love you Koko Bean [kiss emoji][heart emoji],” Bryant wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. Many friends and followers alike responded by proclaiming that this was an adorable photo. Pau Gasol, one of her husband Kobe Bryant‘s former teammates on the Lakers, wrote that Capri “is adorable.” The praise continued on Sunday as Instagram users stumbled across the photo.
Videos by PopCulture.com
View this post on Instagram
Bryant posted this image on Instagram days after the Los Angeles County coroner and medical examiner’s office released autopsy results for nine victims of a Jan. 26 helicopter crash. Bryant’s husband Kobe and daughter Gianna were among those that lost their lives in Calabasas. The cause of death for all nine victims was certified as “blunt trauma,” and the incident was officially determined to be an accident.
The victims of the crash were Kobe, 41; Gianna, 13; John Altobelli, 56; Keri Altobelli, 46; Alyssa Altobelli, 14; Payton Chester, 13; Sarah Chester, 45; Christina Mauser, 38; and pilot Ara Zobayan, 50. They were traveling to the Mamba Sports Academy — now simply the Sports Academy — for a Sunday morning basketball tournament. The victims’ place of death has since been listed as “mountain side.”
Bryant and the family members of the other victims are suing the pilot and Island Express, the company that manages the helicopter. The wrongful death lawsuit claims that Zobayan was reckless and that he was not monitoring the weather before takeoff. The coroners conducted toxicology tests and determined that there were no drugs or alcohol in the pilot’s system at the time of the crash.
A representative for Island Express has since responded to Bryant’s lawsuit and alleged that the passengers were responsible for the crash. The response said that the passengers were negligent on the day of the incident, “including their knowing and voluntary encounter with the risks involved.” The representative stated that the defendant bears no responsibility for their negligence on the day of the accident.
