Kobe Bryant's widow awarded $16 million in damages over crash scene photos

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The widow of the late basketball star Kobe Bryant was awarded $16 million in damages by a jury for the sharing of photos from the helicopter crash site in which her husband, 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other people died in 2020.

Vanessa Bryant sued the Los Angeles County Police and Fire Departments for sharing images of the remains under circumstances that were not official.

Chris Chester, who lost his wife and daughter in the crash, joined Bryant's lawsuit and was awarded $15 million in damages, bringing the total amount set by the jury to $31 million.

Bryant, who was in the federal courthouse in Los Angeles when the verdict was read, after an 11-day trial, covered her face with her hands and cried. She and her lawyer did not speak to reporters as they left the courtroom.

The helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven other people occurred on January 26, 2020.