Vanessa Bryant jury award, explained: Widow of Kobe Bryant prevails in lawsuit over crash photos

Vanessa Bryant, widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, was one of two plaintiffs sentenced Wednesday by a Los Angeles County jury in a lawsuit over photos taken at the scene of the January 2020 helicopter crash that left Kobe Bryant imprisoned Life Came, a total of $31 million was awarded; her daughter Gianna; and seven other people.

The jury awarded Vanessa Bryant $16 million and co-plaintiff Christopher Chester, whose wife and daughter died in the wreck, $15 million.

According to Bryant, the photos in question constituted a violation of their right to privacy. The jury agreed with the plaintiffs that the Los Angeles County Sheriff and Fire Department did not have proper guidelines, resulting in a later violation of that right.

The photos not only showed debris from the helicopter, but also gruesome images of those killed in the crash, including Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and Sarah and Payton Chester.

Vanessa Bryant and Christopher Chester testified that the mere existence of the photos caused them emotional distress for fear they would eventually emerge.

Vanessa Bryant later made an Instagram post with the caption: “Anything for you! I love you! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi!”

MORE: Kobe Bryant Day: NBA stars pay tribute to Lakers legend

Why did Vanessa Bryant sue Los Angeles County?

After Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020, first responders at the scene took photos of the bodies of those killed in the crash.

Up to eight members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department took photos on personal devices. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva later learned of the photos and ordered their deletion, while also demanding legislation prohibiting the unauthorized photographing of victims of a crime or accident. California would pass such a law in September 2020.

“I felt like I wanted to run down the block and just scream,” Vanessa Bryant said in her testimony, per The New York Times. “But I couldn’t escape. I can’t escape my body.”

In her statement, she spoke of being afraid of the pictures.

“But now to live the rest of my life and having to be afraid of these photos coming out is something I have to deal with every day,” she said in October.

What was the Los Angeles County Defense?

Attorney Mira Hashmall, who led the county’s defense, argued during the trial that Vanessa Bryant’s public stance undermined her demand for privacy.

“To claim privacy and then make all those details public — that defies logic,” she said, according to The New York Times.

Another part of the defense’s argument was that Villanueva’s order to delete the photos as soon as he discovered them made up for the lack of an official policy. Lawyers also argued that the photos were legitimately used as part of the accident investigation and were never released.

Hashmall issued a statement after the verdict was announced.

“While we disagree with the jury’s findings regarding county liability, we believe the monetary amount shows that the jury did not believe the evidence supported the plaintiffs’ $75 million emotional distress request ‘ Hashmall said, per CNN. “We will discuss the next steps with our customer. In the meantime, we hope the Bryant and Chester families continue to heal their tragic loss.”