Will and Jada Pinkett Smith Mourn Kobe Bryant and His Daughter Gianna: 'Life Is So Fragile'
Jada Pinkett Smith and Will Smith are adding to the voices of people mourning late basketball legend Kobe Bryant.
The couple and Jada’s mom Adrienne all paid tribute to Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna after they were both killed in a tragic helicopter crash on Sunday that also claimed seven other people.
Bryant, 41, is survived by wife Vanessa, 37, and their other three daughters: Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months.
“Life is so fragile. This is the kind of loss that makes you deeply reflective,” Jada wrote alongside a sweet shot of Bryant hugging Gianna, nicknamed Gigi.
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“My prayers to Vanessa, her children and all of those who love Kobe and Gigi. This is a hard one. My heart is broken and bleeding everywhere today. This tragedy happened only a few miles from where I am. It’s heavy and it’s painful,” she continued. “Hug those you love. Don’t just SAY I love you. Show up and SHOW it! Rest in the arms of the Highest, Kobe and Gigi❤️”
Will, on the other hand, stuck to just a throwback shot of him and Bryant locking hands, leaving the shot without a caption.
A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith) on Jan 26, 2020 at 5:11pm PST
Jada’s mom Adrienne, who cohosts Facebook Watch’s Red Table Talk with her daughter, posted a picture of Bryant coaching Gianna in a game while sending love to their surviving family.
“Just landed to this news and am filled w an unbelievable sadness for his wife Vanessa, their children and all who loved and was loved by him 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾” she wrote.
Jada and Will’s daughter, Willow, 19, also paid tribute, posting a shot of Bryant and Gianna on her Instagram Story, writing. “Completely and utterly heartbroken.”
Earlier this month, Bryant — who officially retired in 2016 — revealed that he had recently started watching basketball all the time because of his daughter.
“Before Gigi got into basketball I hardly watched it, but now that’s she’s into basketball, we watch every night,” Bryant told former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the Showtime Basketball podcast All the Smoke.
The two attended several Lakers games before the start of the new year, marking the first time he had been to a game since his jersey was retired in 2017.
“We just had so much fun because it was the first time I was seeing the game through her eyes,” the five-time NBA champion said of sharing the experience with his daughter.
“It wasn’t me sitting there, you know, as an athlete or a player or something like that, and you know it’s like about me, and I don’t like that,” he added. “It was her, she was having such a good time.”
