Vanessa Bryant Is ‘Devastated’ By Public Dissemination of Photos From Helicopter Crash Site
An attorney for Vanessa Bryant released a statement regarding the alleged dissemination of the photos from the helicopter crash site where her late husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter Gianna Bryant died amid claims that several L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies had taken the images and shared them with other members of the department, as well as members of the public.
“Our client, Vanessa Bryant, is absolutely devastated by allegations that deputies from the Lost Hills Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department publicly disseminated photos from the helicopter crash site,” read a statement from Bryant’s lawyer, Gary C. Robb. “Mrs. Bryant personally went to the Sheriff’s office on January 26th and requested that the area be designated a no-fly zone and protected from photographers. This was of critical importance to her as she desired to protect the dignity of all the victims, and their families. At that time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families’ privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests.”
According to TMZ, the dissemination of photos from the crash site were revealed after a bartender allegedly overheard a conversation between a deputy trainee and an anonymous woman. The trainee allegedly tried to “impress” the woman by showing her images of the remains at the site, and the bartender was so upset that he filed a complaint online with the L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept.
“First responders should be trustworthy. It is inexcusable and deplorable that some deputies from the Lost Hills Sheriff’s substation, other surrounding substations and LAFD would allegedly breach their duty. This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families,” Robb continued in the statement. “We are demanding that those responsible for these alleged actions face the harshest possible discipline, and that their identities be brought to light, to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated. We are requesting an Internal Affairs investigation of these alleged incidents.”
Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant were among the nine people who lost their lives on January 26, 2020, when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed in Calabasas, California. Since then, there has been an outpouring of support for the Bryant family and all families who lost loved ones. Vanessa’s lawyer relayed a message of gratitude for those who spoke up about the dissemination of the photos from the crash site.
“Mrs. Bryant is grateful to the individual who filed an online complaint exposing these acts of injustice, and for the choice to protect human dignity,” Robb added in the statement on her behalf.
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