Vanessa Bryant commemorates her late daughter Gianna’s birthday with a poignant post.
Widow of Kobe Bryant took to Instagram on Friday, May 1, to comment on what would have been her daughter’s 20th birthday.
“Happy birthday to my sweet baby, Gianna. Words can’t describe how much I love and miss you mamacita,” Vanessa, 43, captioned the post, which featured a snap of her kissing her daughter. “Mom loves you so much! #HappyBirthday #20 💕💕”
Fans flocked to the comments section to share their support. LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, Kelly Rowland, La La Anthony, Kris Jennerand Gianna’s older sister Natalia were some who commented on this text about their love.
Kobe and Gianna – along with seven others – tragically died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 on their way to the Mamba Sports Academy for a basketball game. Kobe and Gianna were 43 and 13 respectively. (Kobe and Vanessa also had daughters Natalia, 23, Bianka, 9, and Capri, 6.)
Each year, Vanessa remembers Gianna and Kobe on their birthdays.
“Happy birthday, Gigi! Mommy loves you and misses you more than I can express. I love you Gianna. ❤️19 ♉️ 5/1 #Mambacita,” Vanessa wrote last year.
In 2024, Vanessa thought about what could have been as she marked what would have been Gianna’s 18th birthday.
“Happy birthday to my beautiful girl, Gigi! I love you. I miss you. I’m proud of you,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “Your year is 2024. You were about to graduate from high school and choose which college to attend. (I was trying my best to convince you to stay close to home).”
Endless Love. The decades-long love affair of Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant came to a sad end when the NBA legend passed away on January 26, 2020. Despite the tragic end of their relationship, their love was full of highs over the years. The romance between Kobe and Vanessa started not long after the duo met for the first time in November […]
Meanwhile, Vanessa shared an emotional gift with Kobe in August 2025 to mark what would have been the NBA star’s 47th birthday.
“We love and miss you and Gigi so much,” Vanessa wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of the couple kissing. “Sending you our love. Happy birthday, baby. @kobebryant ❤️.”
Vanessa and Kobe first met on the set of Eastsidaz’s “G’d Up” music video in 1999, where Vanessa was working as a backup dancer. They tied the knot in 2001 before welcoming their daughters.
After the deaths of Kobe and Gianna, Vanessa sued Los Angeles County for invasion of privacy and negligence after Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department personnel took and distributed photos of the helicopter. In August 2022, he was awarded $16 million in damages. The following year, he earned nearly $29 million, all of which was donated to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.
