Vanessa Bryantwas more than a wife inKobe Bryant‘s eyes.
On Wednesday, Vanessa, 37, shared an old interview her late husband gave toExtra, in which the basketball star named her as his best friend without hesitation, and that his daughters simply referred to him as “daddy.”
Earlier in the day, Vanessa also shared asmiling portraitof Kobe on her Instagram page, reiterating that he was her best friend,writing, “#mybestfriend #theBestdaddy Miss you so much. #handsome #sweet #funny #silly #lovinghusband ❤️Miss you saying, ‘Bonjourno principessa/reina.'”
A source close to the Bryant family recently told PEOPLE that Vanessa is still “processing” her new situation as a single mom while grieving the loss of her loving husband and daughter.
“Theshock hasn’t entirely worn off,” said the source. “She’s very tired; she hasn’t been sleeping. She’s worried about her girls, worried about what happens next.”
But Vanessa has a strong support system, the source added, who is helping her through the difficult days since the incident.
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Vanessaspoke out for the first timelast week after the fatal helicopter crash, thanking fans for their support in an emotionalInstagram post featuring a sweet family photo.
She added: “There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. 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.”
A fund has been created for the families of the seven other victims killed in the crash —John Altobelli,Keri Altobelli,Alyssa Altobelli,Sarah Chester, Payton Chester,Christina Mauserand pilotAra Zobayan. Donations are being accepted through the Mamba Sports Foundation called theMambaOnThree Fund.
If you would like to help the families of the victims of the crash, consider donating to theMambaonThree Fund. Contributions to theMamba Sports Foundationwill help support youth sports.
source: people.com
