Vanessa Bryant testifies she lives 'in fear' of seeing leaked Kobe Bryant crash photos

Vanessa Bryant
(Image credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Kobe Bryant's widow provided emotional testimony Friday, telling the court she still lives in fear of seeing leaked photos from the crash site where her husband and daughter were killed.

Vanessa Bryant took the stand as part of her lawsuit against Los Angeles County, which she brought after deputies allegedly improperly shared photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed her husband and their daughter, Gianna Bryant. She testified that she first learned about the leak from a news article and that she felt "blindsided, devastated, hurt and betrayed," according to NBC News.

"I felt like I wanted to run down the block and scream," she said, per NBC. "I can't escape my body. I can't escape what I feel." While Bryant said she has not seen the photos, she testified she lives "in fear everyday" that she will.

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Bryant has said she suffered emotional distress as a result of learning about the photos being shared, and she's seeking damages from the county. Her lawsuit alleged the crash site pictures "were passed around on at least 28 Sheriff's Department devices and by at least a dozen firefighters" and shared in a bar, according to The New York Times.

In her testimony, Bryant also recalled speaking with Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva after the crash and urging him to "please secure the area" because she was "concerned about paparazzi," CNN reports. Los Angeles County previously agreed to pay $2.5 million to two other families who lost loved ones in the crash.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.