Vanessa Bryant pays tribute to husband Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna

Vanessa Bryant has broken her silence following the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the lives of her husband, legendary Lakers star Kobe Bryant, and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna. 

Taking to Instagram four days after their deaths, Vanessa said she and her family are "completely devastated", but thanked people for their love and prayers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B77K8XWDY7O/?utm_source=ig_embed

She wrote: "My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time. Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them.

"We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri."

She went on: "We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately. There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon."

Continuing, Vanessa said she "wasn't sure what life holds beyond today" and that it is "impossible to imagine life without them".

"But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way", she wrote, continuing: "Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever."

In the same post, Vanessa announced the creation of the MambaOnThree Fund to support other families affected by the tragedy. 

On January 1, Vanessa posted a beautiful photo of her and Kobe under a message that read, “Portraits of Carter 2020 By The Collective You.” She captioned the sweet post simply, “2020.”

Vanessa and Kobe were married for nearly 19 years at the time of his death. In 2011, Vanessa filed for divorce due to irreconcilable differences, but two years later, the pair called off the divorce, announcing that they had reunited.

Have more to add to the story? Comment below and stay tuned for more!