Vanessa Bryant, widow of the late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, has settled her lawsuit against Los Angeles County over photographs that were taken at the helicopter crash that claimed the life of he and their daughter Gianna Bryant, among other victims on board. LA County employees allegedly took and shared the purportedly gruesome photos without authorization, and now Bryant and her co–plaintiff Christopher Chester have reached a settlement after having been awarded damages of $30 million last summer.
Mira Hashmall was the lead trial counsel representing LA County in the case, and in a press statement she called it “fair and reasonable.” Her statement goes on:
“The $28,850,000 settlement includes the verdict awarded by the federal jury in August 2022, and further resolves all outstanding issues related to pending legal claims in state court, future claims by the Bryant children, and other costs, with each party responsible for its respective attorneys’ fees…We hope Ms. Bryant and her children continue to heal from their loss.”
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Luis Li, attorney for Bryant, had this to say about the settlement in a statement:
“Today marks the successful culmination of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous battle to hold accountable those who engaged in this grotesque conduct. She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family were treated with similar disrespect. We hope her victory at trial and this settlement will put an end to this practice.”
Chester, who lost his wife and daughter in the same crash, was awarded from the $4.95 million Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors back in September 2022.
The total settlement is close to the $30 million that Bryant and Chester were awarded in damages by the jury, which landed on an $15 million each. The photos were never released to the public and according to LA County have all been destroyed.