Report: County of Los Angeles trying to force Vanessa Bryant to submit psychiatric examinations to prove emotional distress

The legal battle that has to do with unauthorized photos of the helicopter crash that killed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant continues.

“The county of Los Angeles is trying to force the widow of Kobe Bryant and other surviving family members of a fatal helicopter crash last year to submit to psychiatric examinations that could help the county prove a critical point in their legal dispute:,” wrote Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today.

“Did Vanessa Bryant and the others suffer emotional distress because photos of their dead relatives were shared by county fire and sheriff’s department employees after the crash?

“In a court filing Friday, the county noted that Bryant and other surviving family plaintiffs are suing the county for tens of millions of dollars based solely on their claimed ‘severe emotional distress.’ ‘ The county’s position is that their distress was not caused by county employees or any accident site photos it says ‘were never publicly disseminated.’

“‘Despite putting their mental condition front and center in this case, Plaintiffs refuse to submit to independent medical examinations (IMEs),’ the county stated. ‘The County brings this motion to compel IMEs of the Plaintiffs, which are necessary to evaluate the existence, extent and nature of Plaintiffs’ alleged emotional injuries. Plaintiffs cannot claim that they are suffering from ongoing depression, anxiety and severe emotional distress and then balk at having to support their claims.’”

The controversy started last year when Vanessa Bryant sued a Los Angeles County sheriff and his department for sharing photos of the crash.

Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in the incident in January of 2020. It was a seismic shock to the Los Angeles area and the world, as Kobe Bryant had become a sports icon after 20 splendid seasons in the Purple and Gold.

After retiring in 2016, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard became something of a mentor, not just to other NBA players but also for women and children who play sports.

This is not the only lawsuit Vanessa Bryant has filed related to the crash that killed her husband. Earlier this year she filed a wrongful death suit against the operator of the helicopter that resulted in her husband passing away.