Vanessa Bryant Celebrates Anniversary With Late Husband Kobe
It's only been a few months since the world lost Kobe Bryant. The basketball legend, who died alongside his daughter Gianna and others in a helicopter crash, was mourned by many. But perhaps no one felt the loss more acutely than his family.
After the crash, the world stepped out to comfort Kobe's wife, Vanessa, who suffered the loss of her husband and daughter all in one tragic incident. Aptly put by writer and critic Rebecca Shuri in a tweet: "I can't stop thinking about Vanessa Bryant, who was with Kobe longer than she was without him in her life, who has an infant child and two other young daughters, and who will have to bear this memory anew when each remaining daughter tries to reconcile this tragedy."
In the aftermath, Vanessa has come to share a sliver of her pain with the rest of the world. During a memorial, she delivered an emotional eulogy in which she recalled Gianna's morning kisses and the "amazing love story" she had with her husband (via CNN).
"He was the most amazing husband. Kobe loved me more than I could ever express or put into words," she said. "We really had an amazing love story. We loved each other with our whole beings, two perfectly imperfect people raising a beautiful family and our sweet and amazing girls."
Since then, we've seen glimpses of Vanessa in the spotlight as she grieves in the hopes of one day healing.
Vanessa Bryant wishes her 'best friend' was still here
Most recently, the mother and wife took to Instagram on April 18 to share with the world an homage she paid to Kobe on what would have been their 19th wedding anniversary. Marking the first anniversary she's spent without her husband, she wrote, "My king, my heart, my best friend. Happy 19th wedding anniversary baby. I miss you so much. I wish you were here to hold me in your arms. I love you."
Alongside the caption, she shared an old photo of the couple where Kobe can be seen embracing and kissing Vanessa. She also posted a video clip from 2001 where Kobe expressed his love for his wife. "You know, it's hard to pinpoint what exactly makes a person the one for you, but you just know," he says in the bittersweet snippet. "Love is a funny thing. I can't explain it and I can't understand it. All I know is, she caught my heart and I just knew that she was the one."
The posts have since led to an outpouring of support for Vanessa, which already have about 4 million likes.
"Im sending you all my love babe," Khloe Kardashian commented on the couple's photo. Many other celebs, including Dwayne Wade, Gabrielle Union, Chelsea Handler, and more stepped out to show their support in the comments.
Safe to say, the world is sending Vanessa love as she celebrates hers.