Vanessa Bryant finally reached an agreement with Los Angeles County, following years of litigation over the photos taken at the tragic helicopter crash that killed her husband Kobe Bryant, and her daughter Gianna Bryant.
The wife of the late NBA superstar agreed to accept $28.85 million in exchange for ending her lawsuit against those she accused of taking and sharing the photos in January 2020.
“The photos of the accident were said to cause emotional distress among the family of the nine victims, as they included “close-up images of the mangled bodies of those killed,” CNN reported.
Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct,” Luis Li, an attorney representing Bryant, said. “She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice.” he added.
Bryant reached a $29 million agreement, which was described as “fair and reasonable” by Mira Hashmall, lead trial counsel for Los Angeles County. “The $28,850,000 settlement includes the verdict awarded by the federal jury in August 2022. And further resolves all outstanding issues related to pending legal claims in state court, future claims by the Bryant children, and other costs, with each party responsible for its respective attorneys’ fees.”
The settlement comes after the federal jury “found the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Fire departments liable for infringing on the constitutional rights of Bryant and her co-plaintiff Christopher Chester” in August 2022, after the photos were released to the public.
By Wanjiru Mbaru