Sunday afternoon, Vanessa Bryant posted a photo on Instagram that caught her fans by surprise. The image showed her oldest daughter Natalia posing in front of a mural of the late Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant. Kobe and Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 in Calabasas, California, along with seven other people.
[heart emoji] my babies. Natalia #winterformal,” Vanessa wrote in the caption of the Instagram post.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Within minutes, this photo had received a multitude of likes, as well as several emotional responses. The fans of Bryant and his family were happy to see Natalia smiling but were heartbroken while thinking back to the helicopter crash.
This was Vanessa’s first post since March 1, and it made many of her fans tear up. They responded to this photo with a mass amount of comments and tried to show their support. Some fans even said that this post was a sign that the family is starting to heal after the tragic incident.
All the Emotions
Vanessa, my heartttt. She literally just posted her oldest daughter at a Kobe and Gigi mural ๐ญ This picture speaks volumes and her smile….I love it. โค๏ธ https://t.co/8RjXduVZbA #kobebryant #vanessabryant pic.twitter.com/EOPbT0YpGr
โ Alice โจ (@alice2096xo) March 8, 2020
With this photo being posted on Sunday afternoon, the fans dealt with a wide range of emotions in a short span of time. Some immediately began tearing up while others were happy that Natalia was smiling.
“Continue to shine bright young queen You have done an amazing job [Vanessa Bryant] Love you,” one fan commented on Instagram.
Strength
One of the strongest women in LA #strong๐ฒ๐ฝ
โ ian franz (@IanFranz_) March 8, 2020
With Bryant and Gianna dying on Jan. 26, the fans immediately grew concerned about Vanessa and her surviving daughters. They wanted to know how she would respond to this tragic incident.
More than one month later, however, the fans have quickly learned about the inner strength of Vanessa and her family. They have no more doubts about how she will be able to handle anything in life.
Former Rivals
View this post on Instagram
Dwyane Wade, who previously faced off with Bryant on the court during his NBA career, was one of the many supporters to weigh in after seeing Vanessa’s latest post. He simply responded by posting multiple heart emojis.
“[Dwayne Wade] so beautiful to see Natalia Smile again,” one fan responded after seeing the former NBA star comment. They appreciated that Wade was showing love in the comments section.
Memorial
honestly I cried of joy and sadness same time. thatโs really beautiful but I think Kobe and Gianna really wanted to take this photo with her๐ฅบ. Keep going to pray for queen Mamba and her three daughters they need themโค๏ธ
โ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช (@pumlemon) March 8, 2020
Following the photo surfacing on Instagram, there were some fans that took a moment to think about the future of Vanessa’s social media profiles. Would she ever be able to post any regular photos?
As some fans wrote, this account may simply be a memorial for Bryant and Gianna. They found this to be both heartbreaking and sweet at the same time.
ย
That Smile
True meaning or #WomanInternationalDay A womanโs Strength will NEVER be UNMATCHED!!! So beautiful ๐๐ #nataliabryant pic.twitter.com/T2M0yCMW7i
โ ~ DeNa MaRiE๐ฆ๐ต๐ท๐ฆ (@Cita408) March 8, 2020
“Gorgeous and her smile is infectious,” one supportive fan wrote on Instagram. There were several users that commented about Natalia’s smile. They were extremely happy to see her smiling despite the innate sadness of the photo.
“Natalia Bryant is beautiful!” other fans added to the conversation on Twitter.
Continuing Support
Please continue to send love and prayers to the entire Bryant family ๐๐โฃ
โ Kobe Bryant Mural Locations (@kobemurals) March 8, 2020
๐ธ @ vanessabryant on Instagram
๐2445 E Coast Hwy, Corona Del Mar pic.twitter.com/2WpkXehc4O
With the Celebration of Life memorial taking place on Feb. 24, there are some fans that have begun to focus on other aspects of life. They are thinking about upcoming responsibilities among other things.
Supporters of Vanessa and her family, however, are not ready to stop thinking about the tragic helicopter crash. They will continue to send love and support to Bryant’s family for the foreseeable future.
Sadness
every time vanessa bryant post my heart breaks
โ mฤrฤฏam (@mariamzenasni) March 8, 2020
While the majority of responses on social media were positive, there were some fans that couldn’t muster a smile. They were simply too sad after seeing this photo on Instagram.
Vanessa is continuing to show love for her late husband and daughter in the wake of the tragic helicopter crash, which is heartwarming to many fans. Others, however, just grow emotional after seeing every single post.
Photo Credit: Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images