Celebrity News
Jury awards Vanessa Bryant $31M in lawsuit over Kobe Bryant crash photos
A federal jury awarded $31 million in damages after finding Los Angeles County liable for infringing on the constitutional rights of Vanessa Bryant and co-plaintiff Christopher Chester, who each lost a spouse and daughter in the helicopter crash in January 2020.
After listening to 11 days of at times graphic testimony, a group of nine federal jurors deliberated for approximately three and a half hours before reaching their decision.
The deliberations began shortly after an attorney for Los Angeles County argued that the trial is a “pictures case with no pictures,” noting that the gruesome photos of human remains have never actually been seen by the public — or even the plaintiffs, Vanessa Bryant and Christopher Chester.
“No pictures is good. No pictures means no public dissemination… no risk of other people making mistakes,” county attorney Mira Hashmall said in closing arguments of the trial.
In an emotional rebuttal, Bryant’s attorney Luis Li argued Wednesday the actions of the county in taking such photos were reckless and inhumane and caused emotional distress.
“They poured salt into an unhealable wound and that’s why we’re all here today,” he said.
The trial against LA county, the Sheriff’s Department, Fire Department and others is centered on photos of human remains taken after the helicopter crash that killed NBA star Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna, Chester’s wife Sarah and his daughter Payton and five others in January 2020.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the helicopter pilot pushed the limits of bad weather flying rules before he crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California.
Witnesses during the trial included a deputy who said he showed graphic images from the scene while at a bar, another deputy who said he shared photos while playing a video game, a deputy who sent dozens of photos to someone he didn’t know, and a fire official who showed the images to other personnel during an awards ceremony cocktail hour.
In September 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an invasion-of-privacy bill called the “Kobe Bryant Act” that makes it illegal for first responders to share photos of a dead person at a crime scene “for any purpose other than an official law enforcement purpose.” The misdemeanor crime is punishable by up to $1,000 per violation.
Coincidentally, Los Angeles has named Wednesday, August 24, as “Kobe Bryant Day” to honor the Los Angeles Lakers star’s two jersey numbers, 8 and 24, that he wore during his NBA career. The Lakers have retired both numbers.
Vanessa’s entire life is a win.
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