Resting in peace. Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna Bryant, were laid to rest in an intimate funeral, Us Weekly can confirm.
A private service was held in the father-daughter pair’s honor in Corona Del Mar, California, on Friday, February 7. The ceremony comes ahead of a public tribute that will be held on Monday, February 24, at Los Angeles’ Staples Center, where Kobe played during his 20-year athletic career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“#2, #24, #20 years as a Laker and the amount of years Kob and I were together ❤️❤️💜💛,” Kobe’s wife, Vanessa Bryant, captioned a flyer, which featured details about a “celebration of life” following her husband and second eldest daughter’s passing.
Kobe, Gianna and seven other individuals perished in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on January 26. The aircraft crashed into a hillside, causing it to erupt into flames. On January 31, Us confirmed with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner that all victims from the accident had been identified.
Fellow crash victims John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli were remembered in a funeral ahead of Kobe and Gianna’s private service. Mourners attended a two-hour service honoring the Altobelli family at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, on Monday, February 10.
Gianna was honored with a special tribute ceremony at Harbor Day School on February 5, where her team retired her jersey number.
“My Gianna. God, I miss you. I’ve been so lucky to have woken up to see your gorgeous face and amazing smile for 13 years,” Vanessa, 37, wrote via Instagram on February 6. “Wish it would’ve been until my last breath. Mommy loves you to the moon and back. Infinity plus 1. #2 #Mambacita #GigiBryant ❤️”
Vanessa first opened up about losing her husband of nearly two decades and teenage daughter via Instagram on January 29, where she noted how she was “completely devastated by the sudden loss” in her family and of others who passed away from the tragedy.
“There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved,” she wrote at the time. “We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon. I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. 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. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable.”
Vanessa also shared Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months, with Kobe.
