Vanessa Bryant admitted that she lost her daughter Gianna and her husband Kobe in a tragic helicopter crash “still doesn’t feel real” at one year old.
Vanessa, 38, took to Instagram on Tuesday to reveal that she received a beautifully written letter from one of Gigi’s 13-year-old best friends, Aubrey, and wrote in the caption: “My gig is INCREDIBLE and I really appreciate your thought of the letter.
“She loves you so much. I miss my little girl and Kob-Kob so much. [heart emoji] I will never understand why / how this tragedy could have happened to such beautiful, kind and amazing human beings. It still doesn’t look real.
“It doesn’t seem real: Vanessa Bryant shared an intense letter from her late daughter Gianna’s girlfriend while discussing the loss of her and her husband Kobe in a one-year accident (Kobe and Gianna, November 2019)
– It still doesn’t look real. Kob, I did well. Gigi, you’re still making Mommy proud. I love you!’
Sharing the letter on the anniversary of the death of her daughter and husband, Vanessa wrote: “Today I received this sweet letter from one of Gianna’s best friends, Aubrey.
“I love you Aubz (as Gigi would call you). Thank you very much for sharing some nice memories of Gigi and allowing me to share them here on ig. ‘
In her letter, Aubrey wrote about Vanessa as a mother. She wrote, “You did well, Mrs. Bryant, and we are all eternally grateful.”
Strengths: Vanessa keeps Gigi and Kobe’s memory alive with her loving posts as she navigates her way through incredible pain
Love: Vanessa posted Aubrey’s letter with permission after writing that Gi changed her life for the better
Kob, I did it right: Vanessa wrote the subtitles of the letter with these emotional words
She added: “My mind is constantly thinking about your beautiful daughter. Her smile and attitude push me to be better. You’ve probably heard that, but if I ever become a mother, I hope my daughter will come out exactly as yours did.
She also wrote: “She cared. He knew when I had a bad day and he knew how to make it better. She was generous with her snacks when I forgot mine. He left me notes in his notebook, which I cherish. It was incredible.
Aubrey also wrote: “On behalf of all who have known her, I can say that it has changed our lives. Her simple actions have made us all a better person and I believe that the results of this will never stop appearing.
Her last post comes a week after Vanessa shared a collection of emotional photos on Tuesday to mark the 18th birthday of her eldest daughter, Natalia.
Taking to Instagram, she posted two different photos with her, the late husband Kobe and Natalia, as children.
It comes after Vanessa bravely shared her battle with the pain ahead of the one-year anniversary of the January 26 crash in California.
Tearing: Last week, Vanessa shared a collection of emotional photos with her husband Kobe on Tuesday to mark their daughter Natalia’s 18th birthday.
In the photos sent on Tuesday, Vanessa and Kobe pose with Natalia at the Lakers Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, in the early 2000s.
She wrote, “We love you so much! Happy birthday Natalia !!!! Our first born @nataliabryant. ‘
While another emotional moment saw Kobe holding young Natalia in her arms, which Vanessa wrote: “My father’s little princess, Natalia. ❤️ # 18 #BirthdayGirl. ‘
Vanessa also recently shared a sweet photo of Natalia when she commented on how proud she is of her daughter after “the most difficult year of our lives.”
“Daddy’s little princess”: taking to Instagram, she also posted a sweet moment of Kobe holding in her arms a young Natalia, on which she wrote: “Daddy’s little princess, Natalia. ❤️ # 18 #BirthdayGirl. ‘
She wrote: “Dear Natalia, happy birthday! Mom and Dad are so proud of the young lady that it’s you. You have shown so much power and grace during the most difficult year of our lives.
‘Thank you for stepping in to help me with your little sisters. You are such an incredible big sister and a beautiful role model for many people. Thank you for being kind, polite and gracious in everything you do.
You have no idea how happy and proud moms and dads are that you are our daughter. We love you always and forever, forever and ever.
“Happy birthday 18 years for our first born, Natalia, our princess! I always love, mom, dad, Gigi, BB and Koko❤️. ‘
Proud: Vanessa recently shared a photo with Natalia, when she commented on how proud she is of her daughter after “the most difficult year of our lives”
Tragic: comes after Vanessa bravely shared her battle with grief ahead of the anniversary of the loss of Kobe and their other daughter, Gianna, who tragically died in a helicopter crash last January 26 in California (in picture together in 2016)
It comes after Vanessa bravely shared her battle with grief ahead of the anniversary of the loss of Kobe and their other daughter, Gianna, who tragically died in a helicopter crash last January 26 in California.
“Let me be real – Pain is a group of tangled emotions. One day you are laughing at that moment and the next day you don’t feel like living.
She continued: “I want to say this for people who are struggling with pain and heartbreaking loss. Find your reason for living. I know it’s hard.
“I look at my daughters and I try to go through that feeling for them. Death is guaranteed, but living the rest of the day is not. Find your reason.
Emotional: “Let me be real – Pain is a group of tangled emotions,” Vanessa wrote in an Instagram story last week
The post came after Vanessa spent her first Christmas since her husband and daughter passed away
At that time, she he posted an emotional message on Instagram, writing: “Always together, we never break up forever in our hearts” along with an emotional image of his family.
Vanessa shared too a black-and-white family portrait that included four-year-old daughters Natalia, Bianka, and 19-month-old Capri posing on a couch.
Before her tragic death, Kobe had called Vanessa “queen” and their daughters “princesses” in an emotional Instagram post to mark 20 years since they first met in November 2019.
Annoying: The post came after Vanessa spent her first Christmas since her husband and daughter passed away (in 2018)
He wrote: “On this day, 20 years ago, I met my best friend, my queen @vanessabryant, I decided to take her to a meeting at Disneyland tonight to celebrate old school style. (pre 4princesses). I love you my mommy every time. ‘
Kobe adored his family and in a previous post, after retiring in 2016, he wrote: “I am so excited to see what God has in store for us as a family now that one chapter closes and new ones open.”
Kobe met Vanessa in 1999 when she was 17 and working as a background model on a music video. The couple got engaged six months later and got married in 2001.
They welcomed their daughters Natalia in 2003, Gianna in 2006, Bianka in 2016 and Capri in 2019.
Kobe and her daughter, Gianna, a basketball player in love, were on their way to Mamba Academy for basketball training when their helicopter crashed around 10 a.m. The other seven people on board were also tragically killed.
The pilot – locally named Ara Zobayan – was trying to turn the aircraft around when he smashed the hills of Las Virgenes Canyon, which hosts celebrities, including the Kardashians.
John Altobelli, Orange Coast College baseball coach, his wife Kerry and their daughter Alyssa were also among the dead.
So sad: before her tragic death, Kobe had called Vanessa their daughters’ “queen” and “princesses” in an emotional Instagram post to mark 20 years since they first met in November. 2019