Vanessa Bryant remembers Gianna on what would have been her 14th birthday: 'You are part of my soul forever'
Gianna died in a helicopter crash alongside father Kobe Bryant and seven others in January
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Vanessa Bryant is celebrating what would have been her daughter Gianna’s 14th birthday with a touching tribute.
On Friday, Vanessa shared an Instagram photo of her and Kobe Bryant’s second-oldest daughter, who died in a helicopter crash alongside her father in January, to mark the occasion.
“Happy 14th birthday to my sweet baby girl, Gianna,” Vanessa captioned a photo of a smiling Gianna, who went by the nickname Gigi. “Mommy loves you more than I can ever show you. You are part of MY SOUL forever.
“I miss you so much everyday. I wish I could wake up and have you here with me. I miss your smile, your hugs and your giggles. I miss EVERYTHING about YOU, Gigi. I LOVE YOU so much!!!!!!!”
Vanessa’s emotional post comes amid an outpouring of birthday tributes from fans and professional sports players to Gianna, who was following in her father’s footsteps and working towards becoming a basketball star before her death.
Earlier this month, Vanessa, who is also the mother of daughters Natalia, 17, Bianka, three, and 10-month-old Capri, remembered her late daughter on social media after Gianna and her two Mamba Academy teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester, who died in the crash as well, were named honorary picks during the WNBA draft.
Sharing a photo of Gianna wearing a Mamba jersey while playing basketball, the mother-of-four wrote: “I’m so proud of you, Gigi. God I miss you baby. You deserved to live a long, healthy and happy life. I wish I could hold you and tell you how proud I am of you.
“You’re the best, baby girl. Mommy loves and misses you more than I could ever express.”
The proud mother also added that Gianna was the “youngest draft pick”.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments