Vanessa Bryant Sobs In Court On First Day Of Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Photos Trial

Kobe Bryant was widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and his death came as a shock to many in the NBA. It was made worse by the fact that his daughter Gianna and seven other people died in a tragic helicopter crash beside him. Unfortunately, some people used the situation in the most heinous way possible.

On August 10th, the 40-year-old was in the gallery of a federal courtroom as opening statements in her trial against Los Angeles County started. She is suing them after several of the sheriff’s deputies and firefighters shared unauthorized photos from the January 2020 helicopter accident that killed her husband Kobe Bryant, their 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, and seven others.

According to Rolling Stone, Vanessa cried in her seat as her attorney, Luis Li, said that county employees “exploited the accident” by taking and sharing photos of Kobe and Gianna’s remains “as souvenirs,” who was in the courtroom for the hearing. “They poured salt in an unhealable wound,” Li said. “They took close-ups of limbs, of burnt flesh. It shocks the conscience.”

Li then played an audio recording of a detective describing the photographs as “piles of meat.” According to the defendant’s trial brief obtained by E! News on August 3, the county of Los Angeles claims Vanessa’s lawsuit lacks legal merit. Vanessa first sued Los Angeles County officials over the images almost two years ago.

Vanessa stated in her lawsuit that multiple sheriff’s deputies snapped the crash scene and forwarded them to others. One of whom was caught on surveillance footage at a Southern California bar showing his phone to a worker there. Authorities were alerted to the existence of the photographs, according to the lawsuit, after a witness at the bar filed an online complaint with the sheriff’s department.

According to the lawsuit, when Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva learned about the images, he instructed deputies to delete them and assured them no further disciplinary action would be taken as long as everyone complied. Vanessa is seeking damages for emotional distress over the photos.

This must be difficult for Vanessa, but let us hope she remains strong throughout. To get the latest updates, keep an eye on Thirsty.

What’s your opinion on this one? Let us know in the comments!