Vanessa remembers husband Kobe Bryant on first wedding anniversary without him, fans say 'he's still with you'
Vanessa Bryant is celebrating her wedding anniversary with late husband Kobe Bryant, without him, by taking to Instagram to share multiple images and heartfelt messages in his honor, including one where her daughter gifted her flowers.
Saturday would have marked her 19th wedding anniversary with her husband, Kobe Bryant, the first since he and his daughter Gianna died in a helicopter crash three months ago. "My king, my heart, my best friend. Happy 19th wedding anniversary baby. I miss you so much. I wish you were here to hold me in your arms. I love you," she wrote in an Instagram image that showed him kissing her cheek.
Kobe and the couple's eldest daughter Gianna were among the nine people who were killed in a January helicopter crash.
Fans of the sportsperson have expressed their support to Vanessa on social media. "He KNEW you were a strong woman and he leaned on your strength. Now you can lean on us, his fans, for your strength to get you through it. It will never be easy but it will be bearable. Talk to him and you will hear him talk back to you. He is still with you always," a fan commented.
"Happy Anniversary to both you and Kobe. As much as you miss him and Gigi, they are with you spiritually 🙏🏼🦋. Prayer will get you through this and your girls," said another.
"Your love with Kobe is such an inspiration. Wishing you a happy anniversary despite not being physically together - your souls are interconnected and forever together," commented another fan.
It was in 1999 that the couple met during a music video shooting. They had their first date at Disneyland when Kobe was 20 and Vanessa was 17. Soon after she turned 18, he proposed to her and they got married on April 18, 2001.
Shortly after their marriage, in an interview, he had described his wife as a "strong-willed" woman. In a video shared by Vanessa, he says, "You know, it’s hard to pinpoint what exactly makes a person the one for you, but you just know. Love is a funny thing. I can’t explain it and I can’t understand it. All I know is, she caught my heart and I just knew that she was the one."
The couple, deep in love, made promises of a lifetime to each other. "In the future, I see us being two cool a— parents," he said. "Young parents, full of energy. She has a ton of energy, I have a ton of energy."
The couple had four children together: Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, Capri, 9 months, and Gianna, who tragically passed away at 13.