Vanessa Bryant broke her media silence Wednesday, just days after losing her husband, Kobe, and daughter Gianna, 13, in a helicopter crash on Sunday in Calabasas, California.
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Bryant thanked the “millions of people who’ve shown their support and love during this horrific time.”
She expressed how “completely devastated” her family is and said they “definitely” need prayers at this time.
"There aren't enough words to describe our pain right now," she wrote on Instagram, posting a Christmas photo of the whole family. "I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."
Bryant said they are also heartbroken for the families who lost loved ones in the crash as well: “we share in their grief intimately.”
A memorial fund has been set up to help the other families through the Mamba Sports Foundation at MambaOnThree.org and another site has been established to “further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports” at MambaSportsFoundation.org.
I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them," she said. "But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever. Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality.
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