Three years after the deaths of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna’ Gigi’ Bryant, his wife and mother Vanessa Bryant are finalizing a lawsuit against Los Angeles County.
You may remember that the father and daughter duo died in the Calabasas helicopter crash in 2020, and photos from the horrific accident were reportedly leaked by the county’s Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and Fire Department (LAFD).
The unauthorized release prompted Vanessa to sue for invasion of privacy, but she recently reached a final settlement with the county for nearly thirty million dollars.
Vanessa Bryant Reaches Final Settlement With LA. County Sheriffs And Fire Departments
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February ended with Vanessa culminating her lawsuit against LA County by settling a $28.5 million settlement from the county’s Board of Supervisors. The settlement covers claims from the grieving widow and any future claims from her and Kobe’s children — 20-year-old Natalie, 6-year-old Bianka, and 3-year-old Capri.
According to PEOPLE, the agreement is still “conditional on court approval” for minors and each party involved will have to pay their legal fees. Vanessa’s attorney Luis Li said in a statement to the magazine, “Today marks the triumph of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous fight to hold accountable those involved in this bizarre behavior.”
Li went on to state that the business executive fought for her husband, daughter, and those whose families died to be treated equally. He hopes his victory at the trial and the settlement will stop such habits.
On the other hand, Mira Hashmall, a partner at the law firm Miller Barondess and the lead attorney for LA County in the case, considered the agreement to be “fair and reasonable.”
He said, “This settlement now concludes all District-related litigation related to the tragic helicopter crash of January 2020. We wish Ms. Bryant and her children continued healing from their loss.”
Vanessa was initially paid $15 million last August after being reduced from $16 million due to a clerical error. Now, that amount has been added to the final settlement.
Along with the model’s family, pictures of the plaintiff’s wife Chris Chester Sarah and their daughter Payton, 13, who died in the helicopter crash were also leaked.
A jury found in August that the LASD and LAFD were guilty of the act, which invaded the grieving family’s privacy and caused emotional distress. Vanessa and Chris sued at the time alleging that photos of the victims’ bodies were publicly distributed on at least 28 devices owned by the sheriff’s department and over a dozen first responders.
As The Blast reported, the hearing for the lawsuit lasted eleven days, starting on August 10, and luckily for the co-plaintiffs, it was decided in their favor. For that, they were awarded a total of $31 million in damages, with the mother of four getting $16 million while Chester received $15 million.
In detail, Vanessa was awarded $2.5 million for past emotional distress and $7.5 million for future suffering, which will be paid by the county Sheriff’s Department. Additionally, $6 million was included from the LAFD, with $1 million for past suffering and $5 million for future suffering.
As for Chester, he received $6 million from the Fire Department and $9 million from the LASD: $1.5 million for past suffering and $7.5 million for future suffering.
Granity Studios President Criticized For Donating Court Fees To His Foundation
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After being paid millions of dollars by the Sheriff and Fire departments, Vanessa decided to donate the money to her Mamba and Mambacita Foundation. Before the payout, his lawyer, Li, acknowledged his efforts to fix the system and hoped the success of the case would change the “callous behavior” of the police and fire departments.
Li said, “From the beginning, Vanessa Bryant has only sought accountability, but our legal system does not allow her to force better policies, more training or officer discipline.”
Despite the 40-year-old’s predicament following the leaked photos, the public has not been very supportive of his multi-million dollar donation to his foundation.
“Donating to sexual assault and women’s organizations is more appropriate,” one hater wrote on social media, adding “#KobeWasARApist.” A second commenter claimed that the donation was “tax dodging,” implying that he could spend the money however he wanted since he controlled the foundation.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
