Report: Vanessa Bryant cried as her lawyer accused L.A. deputies of sharing Kobe crash scene photos ‘for a laugh’

By Jonathan Sherman
Updated: August 11, 2022

David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

One of the most disturbing aspects of the tragic passing of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has been the allegation that police officers on the scene of the 2020 helicopter crash took photographs of the grisly site and shared them in unprofessional settings.

During the opening arguments of a civil trial that started on Wednesday, Luis Li, the attorney of Bryant’s widow Vanessa, accused the officers of sharing the photos “for a laugh.”

“Vanessa Bryant’s attorney Luis Li told jurors in his opening statement in U.S. District Court in her invasion of privacy trial against the county that the cell-phone photos shot at the crash scene by a deputy and a fire captain were ‘visual gossip’ viewed ‘for a laugh,’ and had no official purpose,” wrote Andrew Dalton of the Associated Press.

Vanessa Bryant reportedly teared up throughout her attorney’s presentation.

“Vanessa Bryant cried frequently during her lawyer’s presentation,” Dalton added. “She was still wiping tears from her eyes minutes afterward during a break.”

This is not an altogether new story, but it does not make it any less disturbing. Of course, if the allegations turn out to be true, there will surely be a hefty price that the offending officers will have to pay.

As for Vanessa Bryant, it is surely painful to have to relive some of those moments. She’s put on a brave face for so long since her husband’s passing, but there is no doubt that the loss of her husband and daughter has caused a wound that will never truly heal.

As for the Lakers organization, it has done, and will certainly continue to do, everything it can to keep Kobe Bryant’s memory alive.