| |
| Born | Vanessa Cornejo Urbieta May 5 1982 Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Model |
| Spouse | Kobe Bryant (2001–2020; his death) |
| Children | 4, including Gianna |
Vanessa Marie Bryant (born Vanessa Cornejo Urbieta, formerly Laine; May 5, 1982) is a former American model and video vixen. Beginning her career as a teenager, Bryant has appeared in numerous music videos.
Biography
Bryant was born in Huntington Beach, California. She is the second child of Sofia Laine (née Urbieta). She is of Mexican and Irish, English, German descent. When Bryant was three years old, her parents divorced and she and her older sister, Sophie, were raised by their mother until a few years later when her mother married businessman Stephen Laine. Bryant was born Vanessa Cornejo Urbieta; her name was legally changed to Vanessa Laine in 2000 when she took her step-dad's last name even though he never adopted her.
After she got married she changed her name to Vanessa Marie Bryant. In 2002, her mother divorced Laine and they lived in Anaheim and Temecula before moving to West Garden Grove. Bryant attended St. Boniface Parochial School in 1996, and was a member of the varsity cheerleading squad before transferring to Marina High School using her ex-stepfather’s dad’s home address. She graduated with honors in 2000 and graduated with her class.
Personal Life
On April 18, 2001, she married basketball player Kobe Bryant at 18 years old. Their daughter, Natalia Diamante, was born 2003. On May 1, 2006, she gave birth to Gianna Maria-Onore. Their third daughter, Bianka Bella, was born 2016. Their fourth daughter, Capri, was born on July 4.
On January 26, 2020, Bryant's 41-year-old husband Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California.