Vanessa Bryant paid tribute to her late husband, Kobe Bryant, on what would have been their 24th wedding anniversary
Vanessa and Kobe Bryant were married on April 18, 2001, in California; Vanessa paid tribute to their 24th anniversary on Instagram.
Vanessa Bryant and the late Kobe Bryant would have been married 24 years this past Friday.
The basketball legend’s 42-year-old widow paid tribute to him in an Instagram post on Friday, April 18, on what would have been their 24th wedding anniversary.
The post included a photo of the couple posing on the red carpet for the “Rush Hour 2” premiere in 2001. In the caption, she referenced Bryant’s iconic jersey number, 24, further signifying the significance of this particular anniversary.
“#24. #Anniversary (heart emoji) @kobebryant (heart emoji) 4/18/01.” she wrote.
After meeting in 1999, Vanessa and Kobe memorably married after just six months of dating on April 18, 2001. They were married in a private ceremony with just twelve people present at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, Calif.
The couple went on to welcome four daughters: Natalia, 22, Bianka, 8, Capri, 5, and the late Gianna, who died at the age of 13 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on Jan. 26, 2020, with her father and seven others. Kobe was 41 at the time of the crash.
Since the tragedy, Vanessa has been active in keeping both her late husband’s and her daughter’s memories alive through a variety of initiatives. In 2020, Kobe’s Mamba Foundation, which provides underserved youth with athletic opportunities, was renamed Mamba & Mambacita in Giana’s honor. That same year, the Kobe and Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award was launched to highlight those who have made an impact through the promotion of girls and women’s basketball.
In August 2024, further honoring how important uplifting women’s basketball was to Kobe, the Lakers and Vanessa unveiled a bronze statue dubbed “Girl Dad” outside of Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The statue, which features Kobe and Gianna embracing, was inspired by a viral photo of the father-daughter duo in a similar pose while courtside just weeks before their untimely deaths.
“Kobe was the ultimate Girl Dad and Gigi was the ultimate Daddy’s girl,” Vanessa told the crowd during the unveiling, per People magazine.
Vanessa has also paid heartfelt tributes to Kobe and Gianna many times over on social media. On Valentine’s Day in February, she posted a sweet shot of the two dressed up with bright smiles on their faces. In January she announced “Mamba & Mambcita Forever” a forthcoming book commemorating murals painted in honor of the father and daughter duo. On his birthday in August 2024, she also made sure to show him some love.
“Happy birthday @kobebryant . I love you for now, forever & for always,” she wrote along with a red heart emoji.