The two-year lawsuit between Venessa Bryant, her co-plaintiff Chris Chester, and the Calabasas County sheriff’s and fire department, has reached an end as a federal jury awarded the plaintiffs $16 million in damages as the result of leaked photographs from the site of the helicopter crash in January of 2020 that killed nine people.
Vanessa Bryant and her late husband, Kobe Bryant, speaking with reporters at the 2016 ESPYS via Hoops Center YouTube
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The unanimous decision agreed in favor of Bryant and her lawyers that the emergency responders who arrived at the scene of the crash two years ago acted unprofessionally by taking unnecessary photos of the crash site which eventually leaked online, and caused the plaintiffs severe emotional distress.
The situation sparked in 2020 when a police officer had allegedly leaked gruesome photos of Kobe Bryant’s deceased body and other human remains, which Bryant’s lawsuit stated occurred not even two days after the crash which killed her husband and daughter. The photos at that point spread to ten other known individuals within the department.
Another deputy who responded to the scene of the crash allegedly took between “25 and 100” photos on his personal cell phone.
Vanessa Bryant via La Nación Costa Rica YouTube
“I live in fear ever day of being on social media and these popping up,” Bryant said while testifying on the stand tearfully during the two week long trial. “I live in fear of my daughters being on social media and these popping up.”
After the jury decision was announced after four and a half hours of deliberating, Bryant soon went to her official Instagram account to post about the legal victory.
“All for you! I love you! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi!” Bryant posted along with an old photo of herself with her late husband and daughter.
Source: Vanessabryant Instagram
Bryant and her co-plaintiff Chester had initially sued for $75 million as well as $1 million every year for forty years for Bryant, and thirty years for Chester.
Chester was also awarded by the jury $15 million for emotional distress. His wife and daughter were two of the nine victims to have also perished in the tragic crash.
Kobe Bryant via TheLeapTV YouTube
“We’re grateful for a jury and a judge who gave us a fair trial,” said Chester’s lawyer, Jerry Jackson.
Vanessa Bryant and her representatives were unavailable for comment after the trial had concluded.
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