KOBE Bryant’s wife has been approached by a number of producers who want to make a movie biopic about the basketball legend’s astonishing life.
However, she is adamant that she retains full control of the narrative so she can help protect Kobe’s legacy and also protect her kids from some of the more negative aspects of the NBA star’s life such his sexual assault case, an insider has said.
GettyVanessa Bryant with her kids Bianka, Natalia and Capri with baseball star Mookie Betts[/caption]
APKobe’s helicopter crashed in a mountainous area of Calabasas in Jan 2020[/caption]
GettyKobe Bryant and Vanessa in May 2013[/caption]
Speaking close to the anniversary of the horrific helicopter crash which took his life on January 26, 2020, a source close to the family told The Sun: “Since Kobe’s tragic passing the family has been approached by several producers about putting together a film about Kobe’s astonishing life.
“But Vanessa is extremely protective over his late husband’s legacy as she has every right to be.
“She is adamant that she and the kids have the right to outline the plot and subjects.
“She doesn’t want damage being done to her family potentially by any scouring of the truth or misrepresentation of those difficult times.
Source close to the Bryants
“To her it would be essential that she would have to be part of the creative process and a senior figure in production.
“Vanessa was by his side every step of the way and has valuable insight into all his life highs and lows.
“It would make total sense, from their perspective, that any proposed project would have their seal of approval and voice involved.”
DEATH OF AN ICON
Tragic Kobe passed away on 26 January, 2020 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others.
His death was a huge loss to the sporting world and beyond, with tributes pouring in globally to honour his legacy.
But as well as his amazing sporting achievements, Kobe also went through some dark times, including when he was accused by a 19-year-old woman of sexually assaulting her in his hotel room in Eagle, Colorado, where he was staying ahead of a scheduled knee surgery.
Kobe, who was 24 at the time and married, admitted to having had sex with the woman but maintained that the encounter was consensual.
SEX CLAIMS
He was charged with sexual assault, which attracted widespread media attention, but the case did not proceed to trial because the accuser decided not to testify in court, citing the intense public scrutiny.
Charges were dropped in 2004.
“It is out there that Kobe endured a raft of highs but obviously the allegations over the sex case have always been a troubling part of his journey,” the source said.
“Vanessa has made it clear that through her lawyers and advisors that a project, regardless of whether she is overseeing them, about her late husband, should consider the well being of her children.
“Vanessa was by his side every step of the way and has valuable insight into all his life highs and lows
Source close to the Bryants
“She doesn’t want damage being done to her family potentially by any scouring of the truth or misrepresentation of those difficult times.”
Meanwhile it has been reported that Kobe have a strained relationship with his dad Joe, who passed away last July age 69.
The source added: “It was always well known within the family circles that there were issues between Kobe and his parents over the years.
“At the center of that dispute was that his father Joe didn’t see eye to eye with Vanessa.
“They didn’t attend their wedding and there was some fall out over suggestions that his parents had sold off some of his memorabilia.
“Strides had been made after they stopped speaking and their animosity had cooled of sorts in recent years.
OLD WOUNDS
“Kobe wanted his parents to appreciate what an amazing family life he had built away from sport.
“So any production trying to address that would have to tread carefully and not cut open old healing wounds.”
Vanessa has been trying to protect her late husband’s legacy with the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, which supports underprivileged boys and girls in sport.
She had also worked hard to protect her children – especially after gruesome crime scene pictures were leaked and shared between first responders at the scene.
PROTECTIVE MOM
The source added: “Vanessa is a terrific mother to her children. She protected them from so much after Kobe’s passing.
“Her focus was to make sure the children lived as normal a life as possible away from the news and social media.
“It was a very challenging couple of years for her family to deal with the public interest in them all while so many fans felt so connected to them emotionally.
“She has been a rock for her family and values keeping them united above all else.”
The Sun reached out to representatives for Vanessa for comment.
Minute-by-minute breakdown of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death
9.06am PT – Sunday, January 26, 2020
The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter takes off from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.
Kobe is scheduled to coach his daughter Gianna’s team in a basketball tournament at his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks at midday,
Gianna, 13, is on board the doomed craft, as well as baseball coach John Altobelli, wife Keri, daughter Alyssa, Sarah Chester and daughter Payton and basketball coach Christina Mauser.
The helicopter had flown the same route the day before, which took 30 minutes.
9.17am
Because of fog, the helicopter deviates from prior routes and heads on a detour towards Glendale.
9.21am
Air traffic control tells the pilot to circle over Glendale to avoid other aircraft and advises him on weather conditions.
An air traffic controller says: “Helicopter 2EX, hold outside Burbank Class C airspace. I have an aircraft going around.”
“2EX, holding,” Zobayan replies.
9.24am
The pilot continues to hold the helicopter in the area after being told by air traffic control it will be “a little bit” before they can continue.
9.32am
Permission is granted to proceed under visual flight rules (VFR) and the pilot is told to stay under 2,500ft altitude.
9.33am
Helicopter starts to head north and is told by air traffic control to “follow the 5 Freeway”.
The pilot is told to maintain special visual flight rules (SVFR) – which allows pilots to operate an aircraft in less than basic visual flight rules.
Zobayan requests radar assistance to help avoid air traffic, but is told the chopper is too low.
9.42am
Helicopter follows the Ventura Freeway west and enters more hilly terrain.
9.44am
Zobyan tells control he is going to climb higher to avoid cloud layer.
Helicopter begins to climb and goes up 1,000ft of altitude in 36 seconds and turns left – peaking at an altitude of 2,300ft.
Eight seconds later, the helicopter starts to descend rapidly.
A nearby tower records the helicopter is too low to receive guidance.
9.45am
Kobe’s helicopter crashes into a hillside near Calabasas near the intersection of Las Virgenes Road and Willow Glen Street, killing all on board.
9.47am
Emergency services receive the first 911 call about the crash.
9.50am
A witness on a mountain bike trail close by takes a photo of the crash scene.
Between 9.50am and 10.30am
Emergency crews are deployed to the scene and firefighters hike to the smoking wreckage, while paramedics are lowered to the site.
GettyPamela Bryant (left) and Joe Bryant, parents of Kobe Bryant, accept The Heritage Award at the Advancement of Blacks in Sports Champions and Legends Awards in 2022[/caption]
APKobe Bryant in the NBA basketball finals in Los Angeles in 2009[/caption]
Instagram/vanessabryantKobe and daughter Gianna, who both perished in the helicopter crash[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
