Vanessa Bryant broke her silence on Wednesday following the tragic news of her husband, Kobe Bryant and their daughter’s death in fatal helicopter crash.
The wife of the NBA Legend changed her profile picture on Instagram to include a photo of Kobe and their daughter, Gianna, in her first public move since news broke on Sunday that the NBA champion, his daughter and 7 other people were killed when the helicopter they were flying in Southern California crashed, according to ABC 7 News. (RELATED: NBA Legend Kobe Bryant, 41, Killed In Helicopter Crash)
The photo shows the father and daughter pair embracing during the NBA All-Star Game 2016 in Toronto, Ontario.
View this post on Instagram
The outlet also noted that Vanessa had changed her Instagram profile from a private account to a public account, allowing us to see photos she’s shared of their family events and special moments. (RELATED: ESPN Releases Emotional Video Honoring Kobe Bryant After His Tragic Death)
The NBA legend’s wife has since shared a message thanking the “millions of people” who’ve shown support and love during this “horrific time.”
“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time,” Vanessa wrote. “Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri.”
View this post on Instagram
“We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately,” 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.”
Vanessa continued, “I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. 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,” Kobe’s wife’s message read. “We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality. To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org. To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org.”
“Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me,” she added. “#Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family.”
On January 1, Vanessa posted a beautiful photo of her and Kobe under a message that read, “Portraits of Carter 2020 By The Collective You.” She captioned the sweet post simply, “2020.”
There are also a handful of photos of her daughter Gigi doing her thing on the court like her dad, along with sweet pictures of Kobe and their daughter watching basketball together.
View this post on Instagram
A source close to the family told Entertainment Tonight that Vanessa has been “almost numb” since the fatal crash.
“Vanessa is completely shocked and heartbroken but is trying to stay as strong as she can in front of her children,” a source shared.
“Vanessa married Kobe when she was 18 and never expected to live her life without him,” the insider added. “She has been surrounded by her family and friends but she feels almost numb to everything. Right now she’s taking time to be with her girls.”
Update: This story has been updated to include the message from Kobe’s wife to the millions of people who have shown their support and love following the fatal crash.