Vanessa Bryant filed a declaration as part of her lawsuit against L.A. County where she described the torment and anxiety she experienced after learning that the photos of Kobe and Gigi’s remains were shared.
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In the declaration, Vanessa Bryant said she specifically asked Sheriff Alex Villaneuva not to allow anyone to take photos of the crash site and to fully secure it after learning there were no survivors. She says, “If you can’t bring my husband and baby back, please make sure no one takes photographs of them.” According to TMZ, Vanessa Bryant learned a month later that Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters were sharing photos of her deceased husband and daughter. Learning the new information angered her and it sent her in constant distress that the photos would be leaked on the internet.
Additionally, she believes at least 20 different individuals have obtained copies of the photos and doesn’t believe the county’s claims about the images being completely deleted. Bryant said she already saw one photo of her husband in the aftermath of the crash and stated: “I’ve been tormented with thoughts of who took it and whether it depicts my husband.”
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“It infuriates me that the people I trusted to protect the dignity of my husband and daughter abused their positions to obtain souvenirs of their deaths, as though possessing pictures of their remains somehow makes them special. I imagine Kobe watching over what occurred at that crash scene, and I am overcome by anger and emotion. I feel sick at the thought that deputies and firefighters have gawked at photos of my husband’s and child’s bodies without any reason. I also feel extreme sadness and anger knowing that photos of my husband’s and daughter’s bodies were laughed about while shown at a bar and awards banquet.”
The widow also described how she becomes triggered by Google searches referencing photos of Kobe’s remains and being threatened by online commentators.