Entertainment
Vanessa Bryant left courtroom in tears upon hearing graphic description of photos showing fatal Kobe Bryant crash-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro
She and another plaintiff are suing for emotional distress.
Vanessa Bryant lost her husband and daughter in a plane crash in 2020 (Picture: AP)
Vanessa Bryant walked out of a courtroom in tears when a jury heard descriptions of images taken following the crash that killed her husband.
Kobe Bryant died with his daughter Gianna in a plane crash on January 26, 2020, when the aircraft came down amid bad weather.
The NBA champion was flying from Orange County to a basketball tournament, with several other passengers also killed in the horrific incident.
Orange county financial adviser Christopher Chester lost his wife Sarah, and their 13-year-old daughter, Payton, with John Altobelli; his wife, Keri Altobelli; their 14-year-old daughter Alyssa Altobelli; coach Christina Mauser; and pilot, Ara Zobayan, also killed.
Now, Ms Bryant and fellow plaintiff Mr Chester are suing Los Angeles County after first responders, including fire officials, took pictures of the crash site, later sharing the images.
The images have not been made public and Ms Bryant and Mr Chester have not seen them, but the pair are suing for emotional distress and the threat that the photos will one day be released.
Ms Bryant asked to be excused as she started sobbing (Picture: Mona Shafer Edwards/Backgrid))
The photos were graphically described by witnesses in a Los Angeles courtroom (Picture: Mona Shafer Edwards/Backgrid))
Appearing in a courtroom in California, Ms Bryant is said to have become visibly upset and tearful when she heard details of the images in question, as illustrations show.
She started sobbing as bartender Victor Gutierrez took to the stand and said that he had seen Gianna’s body in a photo shown to him by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy, days after the fatality.
Ms Bryant’s lawyer then asked the federal court judge if she could be excused from the courtroom.
Ms Bryant is suing for emotional distress following the photos being taken of her husband’s crash (Picture: Invision)
‘You don’t have to ask my permission,’ the judge responded, according to CNN.
As legal proceedings continue, county lawyers claim that the photos were taken for legitimate educational and law enforcement training purposes.
Gianna Bryant was also killed in the crash (Picture: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)
The photos are said to have been shown by county officials at a cocktail event at an awards gala, with relatives of Mauser and the Altobellis also previously taking legal action in the name of civil rights violations, negligence, emotional distress, and a violation of privacy.
They ultimately settled with Los Angeles County in November 2021, for $1.25million (£1.03m) each.
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Professional basketball player Bryant was 41-years-old when he died, while his daughter was just 13.
The couple also share children Natalia, 19, Bianka, five, and Capri, three.
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