Vanessa Bryant Takes Witness Stand Over Kobe Crash Scene Photos

Vanessa Bryant, widow of late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, took to the witness stand Friday (Aug. 19) in her federal lawsuit against Los Angeles County. The lawsuit is centered around photos taken and shared by first responders to the 2020 helicopter crash that killed Kobe, their daughter Gianna "GiGi" Bryant. Seven others perished in the crash.

Vanessa along with Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter also died in the crash, filed a federal civil lawsuit alleging that Los Angeles County "invaded their privacy and inflicted emotional distress by not properly containing the spread of the photos which, according to witness testimony, show not just helicopter wreckage but the mangled bodies of the victims," CNN reports.

After learning of the devasting news, Vanessa said in the courtroom Friday per TMZ, "I felt like I wanted to run down the block and scream. I can’t escape my body. I can't escape what I feel."

She added she had been "blindsided, devastated, hurt and betrayed" to know that authorities had taken pictures at the scene.

"I trusted them," she said. "I trusted them to not do these things."

Vanessa told the courtroom that because of where Gianna's body was located, she believes someone had to have moved her.

"They took advantage that Daddy couldn't protect her," she said. "He was at the morgue." She added, "I don't ever want to see my babies in that way. Nobody should ever have to see their family in that way."

Kobe, Gianna, and the seven others were flying to a girls' basketball game at Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks when the helicopter went down, leaving no survivors.

Kobe Bryant was a force to be reckoned with on and off the court. The proud girl dad loved his family even more than the game of basketball. His top-scoring game against the Toronto Raptors in 2006 where he scored 81 points is only one of the highlights of his 20-year long career with the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant went on to win an Oscar, he worked on community housing initiatives with his wife Vanessa Bryant, and he coached his daughter Gianna's basketball team. A devoted husband, father, and ballplayer, the world mourned when learning of his tragic passing with his daughter Gianna and seven others in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.

Here are 10 memorable quotes from the late Kobe Bryant whose memory lives on through his legacy.