Vanessa Bryant Remembers Late Daughter Gianna's 'Amazing Smile': 'God I Miss You'
Vanessa Bryant is treasuring memories of her late daughter Gianna Bryant‘s smile.
On Wednesday, Vanessa, 37, shared a sweet photo from Gianna’s jersey retirement ceremony at Harbor Day School in Newport Beach.
In the photo, which was taken from the school’s gym, a bouquet of heart-shaped balloons can be seen placed alongside a table with a red and pink flower arrangement that reads “Gianna.”
The display also included a red floral arrangment of the number 2, which Gianna wore with pride on the back of her Mamba Sports Academy basketball jersey.
“My Gianna,” Vanessa began. “God I miss you. I’ve been so lucky to have woken up to see your gorgeous face and amazing smile for 13 years. Wish it would’ve been until my last breath.”
“Mommy loves you to the moon and back. Infinity plus 1,” Vanessa continued, adding the hashtags “#2 #Mambacita #GigiBryant.”
Gianna and her NBA legend father Kobe Bryant tragically died in a helicopter class on Jan. 26 alongside seven others: John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester, Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan.
A post shared by Vanessa Bryant 🦋 (@vanessabryant) on Feb 5, 2020 at 3:26pm PST
Hours before her tribute to Gianna, Vanessa honored her husband, whom she called “#Mybestfriend.”
“#TheBestdaddy Miss you so much. #handsome #sweet #funny #silly #lovinghusband ❤️Miss you saying, ‘Bonjourno principessa/reina,'” Vanessa wrote alongside a photo of Bryant smiling widely while wearing a Mamba Sports Academy crewneck.
Mamba Sports Academy launched in 2018 as a joint business venture in holistic athletic training between the NBA legend and Sports Academy’s CEO Chad Faulkner.
Since Gianna and Bryant’s tragic deaths, Vanessa is doing her best to process the tragic news.
“The shock hasn’t entirely worn off,” a source close to the 37-year-old told PEOPLE. “She’s very tired; she hasn’t been sleeping. She’s worried about her girls, worried about what happens next.”
Since the crash, Vanessa has taken comfort in the many tributes that people have paid to Kobe and Gianna. “Every memorial means something to her,” says the insider. “Every memorial is important.”
The source told PEOPLE that Vanessa has a strong support system who is helping her get through the difficult days.
“She’s got people around her who are helping her: physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally,” says the insider. “She has spent the last week surrounded by people who love her and want only the best for her. She’s really being loved and cared for. And so are the girls.”
A post shared by Vanessa Bryant 🦋 (@vanessabryant) on Feb 5, 2020 at 8:51am PST
Vanessa spoke out for the first time last week, telling fans in an emotional Instagram post that she is “devastated” over the loss of her “adoring” husband, 41, and their “beautiful, sweet” daughter Gianna.
“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,” Vanessa wrote.
“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 said.
If you would like to help the families of the victims of the crash, consider donating to the MambaonThree Fund. Contributions to the Mamba Sports Foundation will help support youth sports.
