Vanessa Bryant's Co-Plaintiff Reaches $20M Settlement with L.A. County Over Leaked Crash Photos
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Facebook Sarah and Payton Chester
The second plaintiff in Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit over leaked photos of Kobe Bryant's helicopter crash site has received a nearly $20 million award from Los Angeles County.
Chris Chester and Vanessa sued L.A. County for emotional distress and mental anguish after learning that crash scene photos — which included the victims' bodies — were publicly shared on at least 28 devices owned by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and by more than a dozen first responders.
Last month, Vanessa was awarded $16 million and Chris was awarded $15 million. Along with Kobe and his and Vanessa's daughter 13-year-old Gianna, Chris' wife Sarah Chester and their 13-year-old daughter Payton died in the January 2020 helicopter crash. There were a total of nine victims.
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According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE both Vanessa and Chris filed documents on Sept. 16 to extend the deadline from Sept. 19 to Oct. 10 to decide whether they will pursue further action.
Chris has since settled with L.A. County for $19.95 million, PEOPLE confirms. The settlement, which includes the $15 million he was initially awarded, means Chris and his family agree they will not pursue any more lawsuits against the county.
RELATED: Vanessa Bryant Awarded $16M After Jury Reaches Verdict in Trial Over Helicopter Crash Site Photos
"We believe the $19,950,000 settlement with the Chester family is fair and reasonable to all concerned," Mira Hashmall, partner at the Miller Barondess law firm and lead trial counsel for L.A. County in the Bryant-Chester case, tells PEOPLE in a statement. "This amount includes the $15 million verdict awarded to Mr. Chester by the federal jury and resolves all outstanding issues relating to the pending state claims, future claims by the Chester children, attorneys' fees, and costs. We sincerely hope this settlement will help Mr. Chester and his children move forward with their lives."
Vanessa still has until Oct. 10 to decide if she will settle or have the opportunity to file another complaint in the future.
RELATED VIDEO: Vanessa Bryant Awarded $16M After Jury Reaches Verdict in Trial Over Helicopter Crash Site Photos
Moments after the trial ended, Vanessa became emotional and was seen sobbing in court after the jury read its verdict.
While holding her head down, Vanessa had both of her hands together as if she was in prayer during the moment. She hugged her attorney Luis Li for a few minutes before hugging Chris.
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Li told reporters no comment after the verdict.
Reacting to the outcome on Instagram, Vanessa shared a sweet selfie of her and Kobe smiling with Gianna, writing in the caption, "All for you! I love you! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi! #Betonyourself #MambaDay 8*24*22 💜💛💜💛 #MambaMentality"
