Vanessa Bryant is speaking up after her late husband, Kobe Bryant‘s father, passed away. The patriarch, Joe Bryant, died four years after losing his son and granddaughter, Gianna, in a tragic helicopter crash. Vanessa had a sour relationship with her in-laws for most of her marriage to the NBA legend, but that didn’t stop her from mourning her father-in-law.
Vanessa addressed Joe’s passing in a statement shared on her Instagram Story. “Sending our condolences upon hearing the news of my father-in-law’s passing,” she began. “We hoped things would’ve been different.” The widow then touched on her fractured relationship with Kobe’s parents, writing:
Although the times we spent together were few, he was always sweet and nice to be around. Kobe loved him very much.
She concluded her message by sending prayers and love to her extended family. Joe Bryant died on Monday after suffering a massive stroke, the Philadephia Inquirer confirmed. He was 69 and battling unknown health issues in recent times.
Although Kobe was the family’s basketball star, Joe paved the way. The 6-foot-9 forward was an iconic basketball player, famously called “Jellybean.” He was a first-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors in 1975, after which he played for the Philadelphia 76ers, San Diego Clippers, and Houston Rockets. After conquering the NBA, Joe Bryant moved to Europe to play, where he had a stellar career.
A Look At Vanessa Bryant’s Feud With Her In-laws
Although the late Joe shared a tight bond with Kobe as a child, their relationship turned sour when Vanessa entered the picture. Kobe and Vanessa met when they were 20 and 17, respectively. At the time, the athlete was a rising NBA star while she was in high school. Per The Sun, Joe and his wife Pamela believed the late basketballer was too young to get married. They skipped out on his 2001 wedding to Vanessa. There were also reports that they didn’t like that Vanessa wasn’t African-American.
Although Kobe and Vanessa patched things up with his parents, their relationship deteriorated in 2013 when they attempted to auction off some of his basketball memorabilia. The late Lakers legend described his relationship with his parents as “s–t” at the time. Both parties, however, never reconciled until Kobe passed away in 2020.
