| |
| Born | Vanessa Marie Urbieta-Cornejo May 5 1982 Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Model |
| Spouse | Kobe Bryant (2001–2020; his death) |
| Children | 4, including Gianna (deceased) |
Vanessa Marie Bryant (née Vanessa Marie Urbieta-Cornejo; born May 5, 1982) is an American former model and philanthropist.
Biography[]
Bryant was born in Los Angeles, California, to Sofia Urbieta, a Mexican immigrant, and was raised with her older sister Sophie. When Bryant was 3, her parents divorced and her father moved back to Baja, Mexico; she is estranged from her father. In 1990, her mother married Stephen Laine, after meeting each other as co-workers in an electronics company where Sofia worked as a shipping clerk. Bryant took on her stepfather's surname and changed it from her birth father's surname, Cornejo, despite never being offically adopted by Stephen Laine, officially changing her name to Vanessa Marie Laine in 2000. After her mother's marriage to Stephen Laine, the family relocated to Garden Grove, where Bryant attended St. Boniface Catholic School and was a member of the varsity cheerleading squad before attending Marina High School. She graduated with honors in 2000 and married Kobe Bryant shortly after graduation. Bryant has made appearances in numerous music videos for artists such as Tyrese, Ludacris, Pharrell, and Snoop Dogg.
Personal Life[]
On April 18, 2001, she married Kobe Bryant at 18 years old. Their daughter, Natalia Diamante, was born 2003. Due to an ectopic pregnancy, Vanessa suffered a miscarriage in the spring of 2005. On May 1, 2006, she gave birth to Gianna Maria-Onore. On December 16, 2011, Vanessa filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences, and the couple requested joint custody of their daughters. On January 11, 2013, she announced via social media that they had called off their divorce. Their third daughter, Bianka Bella, was born 2016. Their fourth daughter, Capri, was born on July 4.
On January 26, 2020, Kobe and Gianna died in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California.