Three days after her husband and daughter were tragically killed in a helicopter crash, Vanessa Bryant broke her silence on their deaths Wednesday and said, "there aren't enough words" to describe her family's pain.
"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," Bryant wrote in an Instagram post. "We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately."
April would have marked Vanessa and Kobe Bryant's 19th wedding anniversary, according to the Associated Press.
Bryant began and ended the post by thanking fans and well-wishers for their prayers and kind words. She also asked that supporters respect the family's privacy as it mourns.
The family has set up the MambaOnThree Fund through its Mamba Sports Foundation to honor Kobe and Gianna's legacy. The fund will help support the families of the crash's other victims, Bryant wrote.
Kobe Bryant, Gianna and seven others were killed when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California, on Sunday morning in foggy conditions.
Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash
Earlier Wednesday, Bryant had changed her Instagram profile to an image of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, TMZ first reported.
The picture was originally taken in 2016, during the 2016 All-Star game in Toronto and shows Gianna in a reaching embrace with Kobe during his final year as a Laker and his final appearance in the All-Star game.
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday, the helicopter did not have a terrain awareness system. The system was not mandatory but would have assisted in warning pilot Ara Zobayan, who also died in the crash, that the chopper was too close to the ground.
Vanessa Bryant said that it's "impossible" to imagine life without her husband and daughter.
"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," Bryant wrote. "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."
