Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant wins $16 million in lawsuit over accident photo | Entertainment news

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal jury ruled Wednesday that Los Angeles County must pay Kobe Bryant’s widow $16 million over photos of the NBA star’s body at the scene of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed him.

Nine jurors, who reached a unanimous verdict, agreed with Vanessa Bryant and her attorneys that deputies and firefighters who took and shared photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna invaded her privacy and caused her emotional distress.

The jury deliberated for 4 1/2 hours before reaching a verdict. Vanessa Bryant wept quietly as it was read.

The photos were mostly shared between Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and fire departments, including some who were playing video games and attending an awards banquet. They were also seen by some of the spouses and in one case by the bartender at the bar where the deputy was drinking.

During Vanessa Bryant’s 11-day trial, she tearfully testified that news of the photos compounded her grief, which has not yet been felt a month after losing her husband and daughter, and that she still experiences panic attacks at the thought that they could still be there.

“I live in fear of being on social media every day, and they pop up,” she testified. “I live in fear that my daughters will be on social media and that they will show up.”

Her co-defendant Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter were also among the nine people killed in the crash, received $15 million.

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