Vanessa Marie Bryant (previously Laine; born Vanessa Urbieta Cornejo; May 5, 1982) is a businesswoman, philanthropist and model. She was married to basketball player
Kobe Bryant. They founded the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation in 2007 to provide scholarships to minority college students worldwide. Bryant leads the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation to support child athletes who are in need. She is the president and chief executive officer of
Granity Studios and a member of the board of directors of
Bodyarmor SuperDrink
BODYARMOR is an American sports drink brand fully owned by The Coca-Cola Company. Products launched under brand include: Sports, Lyte Sports, Edge Sports, and SportWater.
Mike Repole created the drink in 2011. In the summer of 2018, The Coca ...
.
Early life
Bryant was born on May 5, 1982, in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
She is of Mexican descent.
Her parents divorced when she was a baby. After her parents' divorce, her biological father moved to
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
. She has an older sister, Sophie.
Her mother was a shipping clerk at an electronics company. In 1990, her mother married Stephen Laine, who was a middle manager at the same electronics company that she worked in.
She began going by Laine after the marriage and officially changed her name to Vanessa Marie Laine in 2000, despite never officially being adopted by her step-father.
Her family's home was in
Garden Grove, California, and she resided with her step-grandfather Robert Laine in
Huntington Beach, California. She attended
Marina High School.
In August 1999, Bryant and her friend Rowena Ireifej attended a hip-hop concert at the
Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre. They were approached by a company and offered work as music video extras and backup dancers. Bryant later appeared in music videos for artists including
Krayzie Bone
Anthony Henderson (born June 17, 1973), better known as Krayzie Bone, is an American rapper, singer, producer, and entrepreneur. He is a member of the rap group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
Personal life
Henderson comes from a fourth generation fami ...
and
Snoop Dogg.
Her mother chaperoned her on the shoots.
In November 1999, Bryant met her future husband
Kobe Bryant on the set of the music video for the song "
G'd Up
"G'd Up" is a song by American Gangsta rap group Tha Eastsidaz, featuring vocals from American singer Butch Cassidy. was released on December 7, 1999 as the first single of his self-titled debut album, with the record labels; Doggystyle Records a ...
." The high-profile relationship caused disruptions at her high school, leading Bryant to complete her senior year at home as an
independent study Independent study is a form of education offered by many high schools, colleges, and other educational institutions. It is sometimes referred to as ''directed study'', and is an educational activity undertaken by an individual with little to no supe ...
.
She graduated from high school in 2000 with honors.
Career and philanthropy
In 2007, Bryant and her husband founded the VIVO Foundation which was later renamed the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation. It is a charity that supports increasing a global perspective among young people. It provides scholarships for minority college students and other youth worldwide. The charity has collaborated with the
Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in the United States that helps fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of and 18 years old.
Make-A-Wish was founded in 1980 and headqu ...
.
Bryant and her husband were founding donors of the
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in December 2003 and opened its permanent home in ...
.
In 2020, following
her husband and second-oldest daughter's deaths, Bryant changed the name of her husband's Mamba Sports Foundation to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation in honor of her daughter. It supports poor child athletes.
In May 2021, Bryant launched a Mambacita line of clothing in honor of her daughter Gianna. The line is in partnership with a female-owned brand, Dannijo and all proceeds go towards the Mambacita Sports Foundation.
Bryant was the president and chief executive officer of
Granity Studios.
Bryant worked with
Baby2Baby to provide support for women and children in poverty. At the Baby2Baby 10-year gala in November 2021, she received a philanthropy award.
On February 8, 2022, during the ''Sports Power Brunch: Celebrating the Most powerful Women in Sports'', Bryant received the Be Your Own Champion Award for her leadership of the Mambacita Sports Foundation.
Personal life
Six months after meeting, Laine and Kobe Bryant were engaged. Her
engagement ring included a seven-carat diamond.
They married on April 18, 2001.
The private wedding ceremony was attended by approximately twelve people and was held at the St. Edward Roman Catholic Church in
Dana Point, California. After the marriage, she took his last name, becoming Vanessa Marie Bryant.
In January 2003, Vanessa gave birth to her and Kobe's first child, Natalia.
During the 2003
sexual assault case against her husband, Bryant defended him, stating: "I know my husband made the mistake of
adultery
Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...
".
A few days later, she received a $4 million eight-carat purple diamond ring leading to speculation that this was a gift for her support.
According to
David K. Wiggins, a professor of
sport studies
Sociology of sport, alternately referred to as sports sociology, is a sub-discipline of sociology which focuses on sports as social phenomena. It is an area of study concerned with the relationship between sociology and sports, and also various s ...
, her husband had commissioned the ring two months prior.
Bryant was a strong influence on her husband. She was the focus of speculation by tabloids.
In 2004, Bryant accused
Lakers player
Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone (born July 24, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Mailman", he is considered one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history. Malone sp ...
of acting inappropriately towards her. Malone later apologized while denying making a pass at her.
''
Sports Illustrated
''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...
'' published a story titled Vanessa-gate about "wife-poaching" by Malone.
Other columnist described Bryant as the new
Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up i ...
, and she was the subject of a ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' parody.
She was recognized by supporters for challenging the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
culture of tolerance of
tomcatting.
Due to an
ectopic pregnancy, Bryant suffered a
miscarriage in the spring of 2005. Her second daughter, Gianna Maria-Onore (also referred to as "Gigi"), was born in May 2006.
In 2009, Bryant was sued by her housekeeper, Maria Jimenez, who alleged that she verbally abused and humiliated her while she was working at their
Newport Coast
Newport Coast is a community south of the main body of the city of Newport Beach, California. It was a separate census-designated place in Orange County, California, United States, until 2001, when it was annexed into Newport Beach. Newport Bea ...
home. Bryant denied those allegations and countersued Jimenez for breach of a
confidentiality agreement
A non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract or part of a contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish ...
.
On December 16, 2011, Vanessa filed for divorce from Kobe, citing
irreconcilable differences
''Irreconcilable Differences'' is a 1984 American comedy-drama film starring Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, and Drew Barrymore. The film was a minor box-office success, making over $12 million. For their performances, both Long and Barrymore were no ...
.
This sparked speculation of financial ramifications for Kobe, with some estimating Vanessa would receive $75 million. Thirteen months later, the Bryants called off the divorce. In April 2016, David Wharton and Nathan Fenno of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...
'' described Bryant as a contradictory and "at times polarizing
public figure
A public figure is a person who has achieved notoriety, prominence or fame within a society, whether through achievement, luck, action, or in some cases through no purposeful action of their own,
In the context of defamation actions (libel and ...
".
In early December 2016, Bryant gave birth to a third daughter, Bianka Bella, and in January 2019 the Bryants announced they were expecting a fourth daughter. Their fourth and last child, named Capri Kobe, was born in June 2019.
On January 26, 2020, Bryant's husband and their daughter Gigi died in the
Calabasas helicopter crash. She sued
Los Angeles County for invasion of privacy and negligence due to taking pictures of the victims of the crash and improperly sharing them. A trial was set for February 22, 2022. In August 2022, she was awarded $16 million in damages related to the photos in the trial. Vanessa Bryant will donate the proceeds of her multi-million dollar payout she received from her lawsuit against Los Angeles County to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. In February 2023, the case settled out of court with a total settlement of $28.85 million awarded to Bryant and her daughters, including the $15 million awarded to her in August and additional funds to settle potential claims from her daughters.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Vanessa
1982 births
Living people
21st-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
American female models
American nonprofit executives
American people of English descent
American people of German descent
American people of Irish descent
American people of Mexican descent
21st-century American philanthropists
American women company founders
Bryant family
Businesspeople from Los Angeles
Female models from California
Founders of charities
Hispanic and Latino American female models
Models from Los Angeles
Women nonprofit executives
21st-century women philanthropists