Vanessa Bryant, 43, has fired back at the gossip mill claiming the widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant is expecting a baby
Over the weekend, whispers began to circulate about Vanessa possibly expecting a child with another man — and the chatter grew loud enough for the Los Angeles native to weigh in.
A random man on social media was seen in a video slamming Vanessa over the apparently spurious pregnancy narrative. The clip got over 8 million views and 30,000 likes on X.
“Kobe’s wife [is] pregnant, and y’all females out here defending her, talking about, ‘Oh, she’s allowed to move on.’ Actually, no, the f–k she’s not!” the unidentified complainer exclaimed.
He also said, “When you got kids by a motherf—-r like Kobe Bryant, you ain’t never supposed to disgrace his legacy. See this be y’all’s problem. Y’all think she’s be on the same scale as y’all when she’s not.”
The noise over Vanessa’s alleged pregnancy got so loud that Vanessa addressed the hearsay by sharing an Instagram Story post on June 1.
“Me protecting my peace, not pregnant, and having fun all summer,” read the caption over a meme of R&B singer Rihanna holding a drink in one hand and putting up her middle finger with the other hand while swimming.
Vanessa also had 2Pac’s “All Eyez on Me” song playing over the picture. That clapback to the rumor monger generated a lot of reactions.
Other social media users weighed in on what the author of the upcoming “Mamba & Mambacita Forever” book posted on Instagram.
“Why are people so damn nosey? She don’t gotta justify herself to nobody… leave the woman alone,” one person tweeted in response to the rumor-killing message.
However, not everyone on the social networking platform was buying Vanessa’s response to the spreading allegations. For instance, a doubter suggested, she was doing “Damage control” to shift the conversation by posting a photo of Rihanna, who is currently expecting her third child.
Two observers said, “With a picture of a pregnant woman I don’t think so” and “Plot twist: she’s actually pregnant and just baiting.”
Yet a few others were shocked that Vanessa chose to respond to those rumors, writing, “She is too old to be posting nonsense like this.”
Another said, “People are so weird. I’m glad she chose to dead the rumors, to go back living in peace.”
Kobe and Vanessa met in 1999 before marrying in April 2001. The couple had four daughters: Natalia (born January 2003), Gianna (born May 2006), Bianka (born December 2016), and Capri (born June 2019).
On Jan. 26, 2020, Kobe and Gianna, herself a gifted young basketball player, were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, a city located around 30 miles from Los Angeles.
The 41-year-old retired Los Angeles Laker player and his 13-year-old daughter were among nine people who perished in the accident.
Sports fanatics were in mourning over Kobe’s untimely death. A Jimmy Kimmel-hosted public memorial service was held at the Staples Center (now known as the Crypto.com Arena) in Los Angeles.
Vanessa eulogized her late husband and child at the event, where NBA Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal also gave speeches.
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriters Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Christina Aguilera performed tributes at Kobe and Gianna’s Celebration of Life.
After graphic photos from the crash site were leaked to the media by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Vanessa filed an invasion of privacy and negligence lawsuit against Los Angeles County.
According to ABC 7, Los Angeles County was ordered to pay Kobe’s widow $16 million when a federal jury sided with the plaintiffs in 2022. Co-plaintiff Chris Chester was awarded $15 million. Chester’s wife, Sarah, and daughter, Payton, were also killed in the crash.
In 2023, Vanessa settled the remaining claims in the civil case against Los Angeles County for $28.85 million. Chester agreed to a $19.95 million settlement as well.
“Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct,” Vanessa’s attorney, Luis Li, said in a statement, per ABC News.
Li continued, “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.”
Vanessa reportedly donated the $16 million to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. Her nonprofit organization was named in honor of Kobe and Gianna by using their respective nicknames.
