Vanessa Bryant's Lawsuit Over Her Mother Explained
Vanessa Bryant, wife to the late Kobe Bryant and mother to his children, has been commemorating her relationship with the famous basketball player since he died on Jan. 26, 2020, along with their daughter, Gianna Bryant, per USA Today. Vanessa has also been fielding various ways that people want to honor her late husband and has been very appreciative of fan support.
When their 20th wedding anniversary rolled around, Vanessa also found a touching way to honor the special day by sharing a video montage. And while much of Vanessa's online presence has been devoted to commemorating the former Los Angeles Lakers player and their daughter, Gianna, Vanessa has also used social media to open up about an ongoing issue with her mother, Sofia Laine.
In December 2020, Sofia filed a lawsuit against Kobe's estate, per the Daily Mail, claiming that the NBA player had promised to take care of her for life. However, Vanessa and her team had a different take. Here's the whole lawsuit explained after the jump!
Sofia Laine claims Kobe Bryant's estate owes her money for nanny work
Sofia Laine, Vanessa Bryant's mother, filed a lawsuit against Kobe Bryant's estate in December 2020, claiming that Vanessa was not taking care of her, per the Daily Mail. Sofia alleged that Vanessa "kicked her out of the home" that the NBA player reportedly purchased for her, per TMZ. Sofia also attempted to gain back pay for the hours in which she worked as a nanny for Vanessa and Kobe for nearly 20 years, asking the sum of $96 an hour, the outlet notes, which rings in at approximately $200,000.
The compensation Sofia asked for was on the grounds that Vanessa and Kobe violated California labor laws, as the Daily Mail notes, for not paying Sofia minimum wage or offering her lunch and rest breaks. In response to this lawsuit, Vanessa and her team came back strong with a firm response. Here's what Vanessa said.
Vanessa Bryant clapped back at her mom on social media
In response to her mother's claims, Vanessa Bryant wasted no time and jumped on social media to refute Sofia Laine's lawsuit against Kobe Bryant's estate. In an Instagram Story in December 2020 (via the Daily Mail), Vanessa said, "My mother is continuing to try and find ways to extort a financial windfall from our family." Vanessa added, "I have supported her for nearly twenty years, and she was never my or Kobe's personal assistant, nor was she a nanny." Vanessa added that she and Kobe were the full-time caregivers to their daughters.
Addressing her mother's housing, Vanessa added, "For nearly two decades, we arranged for my mother to live in our nearby properties, at no cost to her because she claimed that she didn't have money to buy her own home after her divorce."
Vanessa also shot down Sofia's claims that she was an unpaid nanny. "[Sofia] watched our girls from time to time, just like most grandparents do," Vanessa wrote. "She was a grandmother who was supported by me and her son-in-law at my request," Vanessa added. She also noted how Sofia's claim that she nannied for close to 20 years, as TMZ notes, was simply false. "In reality, she only occasionally babysat my older girls when they were toddlers," Vanessa explained. "As of ten years ago, our kids were full-time students and athletes and I didn't have another child until 2016." So, what happened with the lawsuit?
The terms were not disclosed from Vanessa Bryant and Sofia Laine's lawsuit
Vanessa Bryant has settled the lawsuit with her mother, Sofia Laine (pictured far right), TMZ clarified on August 5. Vanessa was outspoken about the lawsuit on social media and asked a judge to dismiss it in March 2021, per the Daily Mail. In response to the lawsuit, Vanessa drew attention to the fact that Sofia's ex-husband claimed he didn't have to pay spousal support in hearings from 2004-2008, per the Daily Mail, because Sofia was being taken care of by Kobe Bryant and Vanessa. Sofia's ex-husband also mentioned a $1 million home that the couple had purchased for Sofia.
Vanessa's legal team also responded to Sofia's statement that Kobe said he would take care of her for life; they claimed that the statement was simply too vague, thus making it "unenforceable," per the Daily Mail. As TMZ notes, Vanessa said of the lawsuit: "My husband never promised my mother anything, and he would be so disappointed in her behavior and lack of empathy."
While the lawsuit was settled, the terms have not been disclosed. But at least it's over.