Vanessa Bryant DID NOT kill herself after Kobe and Gianna's tragic death, viral claims are a hoax
Rumors that Vanessa Bryant, the widow of basketball legend Kobe Bryant, killed herself following the death of her husband are categorically false.
The rumor had spread like wildfire on social media earlier this week after a video that supposedly showed a BBC News report of her death was first shared thousands of times on Facebook.
A screenshot that then made the rounds across the internet read 'R.I.P Vanessa Bryant 1982-2020' and had a BBC News logo plastered on it on the bottom right corner.
However, Snopes is reporting that the video was a hoax meant to capitalize on the deaths of Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who both died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on January 26, along with seven others.
It was pointed out that multiple red flags indicated the news of Vanessa's death in suicide were fake, including the fact that it was perpetrated by a website called Network-Channel-Wereblogs.com, which is not where one would find video reports by BBC News.
"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," reads a line on the website.
A note below the video reads, "This Video has Gone Viral, for reaching 77K views in an hour. WARNING, Contains Graphic Content..."
But when you view the video, only a few seconds play before viewers are asked to share the report on Facebook, which is not something the BBC does but is common amongst a plethora of online hoaxes.
And the obvious and biggest tell that the report is fake will come from the video itself. The first six seconds features a still of the 'R.I.P Vanessa Bryant 1982-2020' image that is immediately followed by Fox News’ Neil Cavuto stating, "I have some very sad news to share with you today."
But the video then abruptly cuts off and the next 35 seconds is a still of Celine Dion from the 'Today Show' before it ends with another few seconds of the 'R.I.P Vanessa Bryant' image.
Vanessa is still very much alive and grieving the loss of her husband and daughter. She had released a heartbreaking statement addressing their deaths this past week and said she was missing her "angels."
"There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now," she wrote. "I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved. 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," she continued. "I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever. Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality."