VANESSA BRYANT

The co-plaintiff in Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit against Los Angeles County over the horrific photos taken from the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, their daughter Gianna and seven others in 2020 reached a nearly $20 million settlement on Tuesday, according to USA Today's Brent Schrotenboer. Los Angeles County agreed to pay Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter died in the crash, $19.95 million. Vanessa has yet to settle with the county, but both she and Chester were awarded $15 million by a jury last month in the trial. The nearly $20 million settlement covers that initial $15 million. Vanessa and Chester were both awarded $15 million after a jury unanimously found Los Angeles County liable after deputies took or shared graphic and gruesome photos from the crash site without reason.

The $16 million verdict that Vanessa Bryant was awarded by a federal jury on Wednesday is set to be reduced to $15 million after a juror discovered an error on the verdict form and informed the court about it. Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant and Chester argued that the photographs had violated their clients’ right to privacy and inflicted emotional distress. Vanessa Bryant agreed to the change. An attorney for Los Angeles County declined to comment on the verdict, according to The Associated Press. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 34 Photos: Kobe Bryant through the years NEW YORK - 1996: First Round NBA draft pick Kobe Bryant poses for a photo.

Readers react to the $31-million award to Vanessa Bryant and her co-plaintiff because sheriff's deputies and firefighters took and shared crash scene photos.

The nonprofit Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation offers sports education to underserved athletes, according to the Los Angeles Times. Vanessa Bryant plans to give verdict proceeds to Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation https://t.co/9ZuVC7ufd1 — Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 25, 2022Vanessa Bryant’s attorney, Luis Li, did not reveal how much she plans to donate, according to the newspaper. “From the beginning, Vanessa Bryant has sought only accountability, but our legal system does not permit her to force better policies, more training or officer discipline,” Li said in a statement. During the trial, attorneys for Vanessa Bryant and Chris Chester argued that the photographs had violated their clients’ right to privacy and inflicted emotional distress. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 34 Photos: Kobe Bryant through the years NEW YORK - 1996: First Round NBA draft pick Kobe Bryant poses for a photo.

Bindi Irwin took her daughter, Grace, to the Australia Zoo and the toddler marveled at a picture of her late grandfather, Steve Irwin.

Her co-plaintiff Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter were also among the nine people killed in the crash, was awarded $15 million.

A jury found that Los Angeles County must pay Vanessa Bryant for emotional distress caused by deputies and firefighters sharing photos of the bodies of the NBA star and his daughter.

>> Read more trending newsA jury ordered Los Angeles County to pay Vanessa Bryant and another man $31 million in damages for the graphic photos sheriff’s deputies and firefighters took of the January 2020 helicopter crash scene, the Los Angeles Times reported. Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant and Chris Chester argued that the photographs had violated their clients’ right to privacy and inflicted emotional distress. An attorney for Los Angeles County declined to comment on the verdict, according to the AP. “We’re not here because of an accident,” Craig Lavoie, another attorney representing Vanessa Bryant, told jurors during his closing arguments Tuesday, on what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 44th birthday. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 34 Photos: Kobe Bryant through the years NEW YORK - 1996: First Round NBA draft pick Kobe Bryant poses for a photo.

A jury ruled that Los Angeles County must pay Kobe Bryant's widow $16 million after deputies and firefighters allegedly took and shared photos of the crash scene.

LOS ANGELES — (AP) — A federal jury found Wednesday that Los Angeles County must pay Kobe Bryant’s widow $16 million over photos of the NBA star’s body at the site of the 2020 helicopter crash site that killed him. The nine jurors who returned the unanimous verdict agreed with Vanessa Bryant and her attorneys that deputies and firefighters taking and sharing photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna invaded her privacy and brought her emotional distress. Vanessa Bryant’s lawyer Luis Li told jurors that the close-up photos had no official or investigative purpose, and were mere “visual gossip” shared out of a gruesome curiosity. County attorney J. Mira Hashmall argued during the trial that the photos were a necessary tool for assessing the situation. But she emphasized that the photos had never appeared publicly, and had never even been seen by the plaintiffs.

A federal jury has found that Los Angeles County must pay Kobe Bryant’s widow $16 million for emotional distress caused by deputies and firefighters sharing photos of the bodies of the NBA star and his daughter taken at the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed them.

Vanessa Bryant's trial against LA County has revealed first responders were quick to share photos of the site – and even quicker to delete them.

Vanessa Bryant testified for three hours over photos of her husband and daughter's bodies shot and shared by deputies and firefighters.

Vanessa Bryant testified for three hours over photos of her husband and daughter's bodies shot and shared by deputies and firefighters.

Vanessa Bryant testified for three hours over photos of her husband and daughter's bodies shot and shared by deputies and firefighters.

"The fact that it hasn't popped up on social media means that they did a good job," LA County Sheriff Villanueva said referring to crash photos.

Vanessa Bryant testified about her reaction to learning that deputies and firefighters had shared photos of her husband and daughter's bodies at the site of the helicopter crash that killed them.

She was with friends and her surviving daughters, and holding her 7-month-old baby, when she received a call about a Los Angeles Times story on the crash-site photos. No photos emerged publicly, but Vanessa Bryant said she has constant worry that some still might. She said she had talked to a therapist for about 18 months after the crash, but had not since. “I don’t think you need to take close-up photos of people to determine how many people are on an aircraft,” Bryant replied. Bryant's side rested its case after her testimony, which came on the eighth day of the trial.

Kobe Bryant's widow Vanessa testified she was only beginning to grieve the loss of her husband and their 13-year-old daughter in a helicopter crash when she was faced with the fresh horror of learning that deputies and firefighters had shared photos of their remains.

Bryant, 40, was the final plaintiffs' witness in the federal trial of consolidated lawsuits filed by her and Chris Chester, an Irvine financial adviser who lost his wife and daughter in the same crash.

A former media relations captain testified that the sheriff's department never reached out to Vanessa Bryant or other victims' families about the photos.

Several key Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputies testified on Monday in the fourth day of Vanessa Bryant's trial against LA County for crash site photos of Kobe and Gigi Bryant.

Kobe Bryant-Crash Photos FILE - Firefighters work the scene of a helicopter crash where former NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant died in Calabasas, Calif., Jan. 26, 2020. Bryant's widow is taking her lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Fire Department to a federal jury seeking compensation for photos deputies shared of the remains of the NBA star, his daughter and seven others killed in a helicopter crash in 2020. “They were shared repeatedly with people who had absolutely no reason to receive them." Li told jurors that learning a month after the crash about the photos' circulation not from the county but the Los Angeles Times compounded her still-raw suffering. The county already agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle a similar case brought by two families whose relatives died in the Jan. 26, 2020, crash.

"He's still my best friend," Lakers GM Rob Pelinka told the court while weeping. "Kobe was like having a true superhero as a best friend."

Kobe Bryant-Crash Photos FILE - Firefighters work the scene of a helicopter crash where former NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant died in Calabasas, Calif., Jan. 26, 2020. Bryant's widow is taking her lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Fire Department to a federal jury seeking compensation for photos deputies shared of the remains of the NBA star, his daughter and seven others killed in a helicopter crash in 2020. “They were shared repeatedly with people who had absolutely no reason to receive them." Li told jurors that learning a month after the crash about the photos' circulation not from the county but the Los Angeles Times compounded her still-raw suffering. The county already agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle a similar case brought by two families whose relatives died in the Jan. 26, 2020, crash.

On Wednesday, jurors were selected and opening statements were shared in the trial against Los Angeles County.

Vanessa Bryant's invasion of privacy lawsuit says a deputy showed photos of her husband's remains to bar patrons and a firefighter showed them to off-duty colleagues.

Kobe Bryant-Crash Photos FILE - Firefighters work the scene of a helicopter crash where former NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant died in Calabasas, Calif., Jan. 26, 2020. Vanessa Bryant's invasion of privacy trial against the Los Angeles County sheriff's and fire departments begins Wednesday in a U.S. District Court just over a mile from where Kobe Bryant played most of his career with the Lakers. Vanessa Bryant claims deputies did not take the photos for investigative purposes and shared them with firefighters who responded to the crash scene. The lawsuit said a deputy showed the photos to bar patrons and a firefighter showed them off-duty colleagues. The county has argued that Bryant has suffered emotional distress from the deaths, not the photos, which were ordered deleted by Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

A lawyer for the widow of Kobe Bryant told jurors that a “culture of callousness” led Los Angeles County deputies and firefighters to share photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other victims of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the Lakers star, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others.

In honor of the anniversary of “Die Hard,” actor Bruce Willis returned to the Nakatomi Plaza roof to re-create one of the movie's iconic scenes.

Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck file for a marriage license, months after their engagement. Get the latest on the "Marry Me" actress and "Justice League" star's romance!

The LASD doesn't want the officer to testify and said the officer was demoted after the crash due to his mishandling of a sexual assault allegation.

In March 2021, an LA Sheriff's deputy, who is also embroiled in Bryant's lawsuit, was recorded apparently kneeling on a handcuffed inmate's head.

The "Fashion Police" alum shared a photo of her ultrasound on Instagram Thursday.

Kris Jenner hosts two elegant Easter weekend celebrations at her house for the entire family. See photos of the events from Kylie Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and more!

The wife of the late sports legend says the proceeds from Gigi's shoes will be donated to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, the nonprofit charitable organization.

Deputy Fire Chief William McCloud wrote that the photos of human remains taken by staff "had no intel value or legitimate business purpose," docs show.

Vanessa Bryant FILE - Vanessa Bryant arrives at the Baby2Baby Gala on Nov. 13, 2021, in West Hollywood, Calif. Bryant, the widow of the late Kobe Bryant, will be recognized as one of the leading women in sports at the Sports Power Brunch: Celebrating the Most Powerful Women in Sports during Super Bowl week on Feb. 8, 2022, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File) (Jordan Strauss)LOS ANGELES — (AP) — Vanessa Bryant will be recognized as one of the leading women in sports at an event during Super Bowl week. Bryant –- the widow of Kobe Bryant — will be honored at the third annual Sports Power Brunch: Celebrating the Most Powerful Women in Sports on Feb. 8 in Beverly Hills, California. She will receive the “Be Your Own Champion Award” for her leadership through the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, the Sports Power Brunch organization said in a statement Tuesday. The organization was founded to create a positive impact for underserved child athletes, in honor of her husband Kobe and daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, who died in the helicopter crash that also killed seven others in 2020. Other women in sports honorees include Los Angeles Sparks senior vice president Natalie White, EAG Sports management CEO Denise White and Terri Hines, executive vice president of communications at FOX Sports.

Vanessa Bryant will be recognized as one of the leading women in sports at an event during Super Bowl week.

A three-day trial in Bryant's lawsuit against the county is set for February after a federal judge rejected LA County's move to throw out the lawsuit.

Kobe Bryant Crash Photos FILE - Investigators work the scene of a helicopter crash that killed former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant and his teenage daughter, and seven others in Calabasas, Calif., on Jan. 27, 2020. Lawyers for Los Angeles County failed to persuade a federal judge to end Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit over gruesome photos of the helicopter crash. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File) (Mark J. Terrill)LOS ANGELES — (AP) — Lawyers for Los Angeles County have failed to persuade a federal judge to end Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit over gruesome photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, her daughter Gianna and seven others. Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit claims she and her family suffered emotional distress after a Times investigation found that county sheriff’s deputies took photos of the January 2020 crash scene and shared them. After the ruling, county attorney Skip Miller said that “we respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling.”Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.

Lawyers for Los Angeles County failed in their bid to persuade a federal judge to end Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit over gruesome photos of the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Bryant, her daughter Gianna and seven others.

Los Angeles County's treatment of Vanessa Bryant, who lost her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter Gianna nearly two years ago, shows cracks in the case over crash scene photos, legal experts said.

"When my girls are assigned their family tree, I do not want them searching my husband's and daughter's names to discover their remains," Bryant said.

"Almost two years after the crash, no LASD or LACFD photos have been posted on the Internet, released in the media," the County's attorneys wrote.

It could be the largest naming rights deal in history — but for many L.A. sports fans, it's a big mistake.

U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Charles Eick granted a request by county lawyers to review Vanessa Bryant's records, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. She is suing for invasion of privacy, asking for damages for emotional distress. County lawyers led by outside counsel Skip Miller argue that the deaths themselves caused her distress, and they sought the therapy records to determine Bryant’s mental state. Her lawyers argued that the effort to get her therapy records was a further invasion of her privacy. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva ordered all deputies with images of the crash to delete them immediately after learning of a Jan. 29 citizen complaint about the bar incident.

A judge has ruled that Kobe Bryant’s widow must turn over her therapy records to Los Angeles County in her lawsuit claiming she suffered emotional distress after first responders shared photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed the basketball star and his teenage daughter.

Last month, LA County attorneys asked her to take a psychiatric exam to prove the leaked photos of the helicopter crash caused her emotional distress.

As part of Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit, Los Angeles County sought to compel psychiatric evaluations for her and others to determine if they truly suffered emotional distress over crash scene photos.

A federal judge says Kobe Bryant’s widow won’t have to undergo psychiatric testing in her lawsuit over graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, her 13-year-old daughter and seven others.

The atmospheric river has been elevated to a Category 5, the highest designation on the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Extreme Weather Lab scale.

LOS ANGELES — Vanessa Bryant, the widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, claims in court papers that she has experienced “severe emotional distress” that has compounded the trauma of losing her husband and 13-year-old daughter, according to a deposition. >> Read more trending newsAttorneys for Vanessa Bryant filed the partially redacted excerpt of her deposition in court this week, the Los Angeles Times reported. In the excerpt, Vanessa Bryant recounted her account of the day when her husband, daughter and seven others were killed in a helicopter crash. Details of the deposition were included in a New York Times report about Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit against Los Angeles County. · Vanessa Bryant said she pleaded with Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villaneuva to make sure no one took photographs from the crash site.

Vanessa Bryant said she pleaded with the Los Angeles County sheriff to make sure nobody took photographs from the site of the 2020 helicopter crash.

Kobe Bryant FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2020 file photo Vanessa Bryant speaks during a celebration of life for her husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna in Los Angeles. According to court documents, Vanessa Bryant said she pleaded with the Los Angeles County sheriff to make sure no one takes photographs from the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, and he reassured that the area had been secured. “And I said: ‘If you can’t bring my husband and baby back, please make sure that no one takes photographs of them. Please secure the area,’” Vanessa Bryant said during the deposition. Los Angeles County is seeking to compel psychiatric evaluations for Vanessa Bryant and others to determine if they truly suffered emotional distress.

LOS ANGELES — (AP) — Kobe Bryant's widow said she pleaded with the Los Angeles County sheriff to make sure no one takes photographs from the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, and he reassured that the area had been secured, court documents say. After Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed her husband, their teenage daughter, along with seven others, were killed, he asked Vanessa Bryant if he could do anything for her, according to a transcript of a deposition detailed in a New York Times report Saturday on her lawsuit against Los Angeles County. “And I said: ‘If you can’t bring my husband and baby back, please make sure that no one takes photographs of them. Please secure the area,’” Vanessa Bryant said during the deposition. Los Angeles County is seeking to compel psychiatric evaluations for Vanessa Bryant and others to determine if they truly suffered emotional distress.

Kobe Bryant’s widow said she pleaded with the Los Angeles County sheriff to make sure no one takes photographs from the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, and he reassured that the area had been secured.

Lawyers want to determine if the widow of Kobe Bryant truly suffered after graphic photos from the helicopter crash site were shared by responders.

Los Angeles County is seeking to compel psychiatric evaluations for Kobe Bryant’s widow and others to determine if they truly suffered emotional distress after first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, his teenage daughter and seven others.

Kobe Bryant’s widow has agreed to settle a lawsuit against the pilot and owners of the helicopter that crashed last year, killing the NBA star, his daughter, Gianna, and seven others.

Kobe Bryant is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame now, along with contemporaries Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, headliners of a group of nine who got their delayed and long-awaited enshrinement on Saturday night, more than a year after being announced as the Hall’s Class of 2020.

Vanessa Bryant got a private tour to see some of the newly remodeled Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday, viewing the exhibit that will honor the life and legacy of her late husband before the rest of the world gets their first look.

Court documents say two Los Angeles County firefighters could be fired and a third suspended after first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter and seven others.

Michael Jordan will present Kobe Bryant for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next month.

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2020, file photo, Vanessa Bryant speaks during a celebration of life for her husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna in Los Angeles. The complaint names deputies Joey Cruz, Rafael Mejia, Michael Russell and Raul Versales as defendants. That’s in addition to Los Angeles County, its sheriff’s and fire departments. It also says the bartender who saw the photos shared with other customers that he had seen the pictures and described Bryant’s remains. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs Union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FILE - In this Nov. 21, 2017, file photo, from left, Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Maria-Onore Bryant, wife Vanessa and daughter Natalia Diamante Bryant are seen before an NCAA college women's basketball game between Connecticut and UCLA, in Los Angeles. Vanessa Bryant says she is focused on finding the light in darkness in an emotional story in People magazine. She details how she attempts to push forward after her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter Gigi died in a helicopter crash in early 2020. Vanessa Bryant said her devotion to her daughters Natalia, Bianka and Capri have been a saving grace. Vanessa Bryant said she wants to honor her husband and daughter’s legacy by creating opportunities for young female athletes.

“Here is a case where a pilot who is well regarded apparently got into a very bad situation,” Sumwalt said. AdThere were 184 aircraft crashes between 2010-2019 involving spatial disorientation, including 20 fatal helicopter crashes, the NTSB said. Vanessa Bryant has sued Island Express Helicopters Inc., which operated the aircraft, and its owner, Island Express Holding Corp. She said Zobayan was not properly trained or supervised and should have aborted the flight. Island Express Helicopters Inc. denied responsibility and said the crash was “an act of God” that it could not control. Lawyers for Berge Zobayan and Island Express declined to comment on the NTSB findings.

The crash led to widespread public mourning for the retired basketball star and several lawsuits, and prompted state and federal legislation. There was no sign of mechanical failure and the pilot was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, investigators said. But NTSB investigator-in-charge Bill English said the system, which was not on the helicopter, would probably not have prevented the crash. Federal lawmakers have sponsored the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act to mandate the warning systems on all helicopters carrying six or more passengers. Island Express Helicopters Inc. denied responsibility and said the crash was “an act of God” that it could not control.

Federal safety officials are expected to vote Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, on what likely caused the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others to crash into a Southern California hillside last year, killing all aboard. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, file)LOS ANGELES – In the year since the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant crashed into a hillside on a foggy morning, killing all nine aboard, there’s been plenty of finger-pointing over the cause of the tragedy. AdFederal lawmakers have sponsored the Kobe Bryant and Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act to mandate the devices on all helicopters carrying six or more passengers. Zobayan’s brother said Kobe Bryant knew the risks of flying in a helicopter and his survivors aren’t entitled to damages from the pilot’s estate. Vanessa Bryant also sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, accusing deputies of sharing unauthorized photos of the crash site.

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2020, file photo, Vanessa Bryant speaks during a celebration of life for her husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna in Los Angeles. The 48-page lawsuit filed by Sofia Urbieta Laine, 68, claims Kobe Bryant “promised to take care” of her for life. Kobe Bryant, 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died Jan. 26 when their helicopter crashed in the hills of Calabasas. Financial experts estimate Vanessa Bryant inherited control of an estate worth up to $600 million, the Times said. “She was a grandmother who was supported by me and her son-in-law at my request,” Vanessa Bryant said.

FILE - A body is covered, left, while another is seen at right at the scene of a helicopter crash that killed former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant and eight others in Calabasas, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. Bryant's widow Vanessa Bryant on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2020, filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County sheriff alleging negligence, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress after deputies allegedly shared unauthorized photos of the crash that killed her husband, their 13-year-old daughter and seven others. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Vanessa Bryant was “shocked and devastated” by the reports, the lawsuit states. The victims died when the helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, northwest of Los Angeles, during cloudy weather. The legislation was prompted by the crash photos. “Shortly following this tragic crash, Sheriff Villanueva sponsored legislation which now makes it a crime for public safety personnel to take and share non-official pictures of this nature," the statement said. The Los Angeles Times first reported the allegations that the graphic photos had been taken and disseminated in February.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Kobe Bryant's widow sued the owner and operator of the helicopter that crashed in fog and killed the former Los Angeles Lakers star and their 13-year-old daughter last month as she publicly mourned their deaths Monday in an emotional public ceremony. The lawsuit names Island Express Helicopters Inc., operator of the service, and Island Express Holding Corp., owner of the craft. Calls to Island Express Inc. seeking comment were not answered, and its voicemail was full. The NTSB hasn’t concluded what caused the crash on the outskirts of Los Angeles County but said there was no sign of mechanical failure. Island Express Inc. issued a statement Jan. 30 on its website saying the shock of the crash had prompted it to suspend service until it was appropriate for staff and customers.

___12:15 p.m.Tears streaming down his face, NBA legend Michael Jordan said at a public memorial that he thought of Kobe Bryant as a little brother. ___11:10 a.m.Vanessa Bryant has given mourners at a public memorial for Kobe Bryant and their daughter Gianna an intimate portrait of her husband. ___10:55 a.m.A host of NBA greats past and present are mourning at the public memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. The public memorial for Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna has begun at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The lawsuit was filed as a public memorial service for Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and all the victims was being held at the arena where Bryant played most of his career.

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Vanessa Bryant expressed grief and anger in an Instagram post Monday as she copes with the deaths of her husband Kobe Bryant, their daughter Gigi and seven other people in a helicopter crash last month. “My brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone,” she wrote. “It’s like I’m trying to process Kobe being gone but my body refuses to accept my Gigi will never come back to me. Please continue to pray for all.”The social media post included a video feature from Slam Magazine about Kobe Bryant coaching their daughter Gianna’s basketball team. Also killed in the crash were pilot Ara Zobayan and Bryant friends Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton.

(AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Kobe Bryant 's widow announced Friday that a “celebration of life” memorial will be held on Feb. 24 at the Staples Center to honor her late husband and 13-year-old daughter Gianna. They and seven others died in a helicopter crash last month. Vanessa Bryant posted a graphic on Instagram morning to announce the service, a day after reports surfaced about the memorial. A large memorial of flowers and mementos outside Staples Center was removed earlier this week. Also killed in the crash were pilot Ara Zobayan and Bryant friends Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton.

People queue up to buy face masks at a cosmetics shop in Hong Kong, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. The death toll rose to 170 in the new virus outbreak in China on Thursday as foreign evacuees from the worst-hit region begin returning home under close observation and world health officials expressed "great concern" that the disease is starting to spread between people outside of China. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

People queue up to buy face masks at a cosmetics shop in Hong Kong, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:1. DEATH TOLL RISES FROM CHINA VIRUS At least 170 are dead and more countries reported infections as foreign evacuees from hard-hit Wuhan return home to medical observation and even isolation. YOU’RE LIVING A LITTLE LONGER Life expectancy in the U.S. is up for the first time in four years — about a month. The rise is due to lower death rates for cancer and drug overdoses.

FILE - This Feb. 24, 2019 file photo shows Kobe Bryant, right, and Vanessa Laine Bryant at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. Bryant, a five-time NBA champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, died in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

We definitely need them,” Vanessa Bryant wrote. “There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now,” Vanessa Bryant wrote. “I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them,” Vanessa Bryant wrote. Have them here with us, forever.”There has been no announcement on funeral or memorial plans yet for Kobe and Gianna Bryant. Vanessa Bryant asked for continued respect of her family’s privacy as it begins to “navigate this new reality.”___More AP coverage of the life and death of Kobe Bryant: https://apnews.com/KobeBryant___More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports