Vanessa Bryant is fondly remembering her late husband Kobe Bryant on what would have been his 45th birthday (Aug. 23) with a heartfelt Instagram post.
“Happy birthday, baby. I love you always & forever. ❤️ #82378,” captioned Vanessa on her post with old photos of the couple throughout the years.
The couple first met in 1999 on the set of a music video and married on April 18, 2001. They welcomed daughters Natalia in 2003 and Gianna in 2006. After Kobe’s retirement from the NBA in 2015, the couple welcomed two more daughters, Bianka in 2016 and Capri in 2019.
Tragedy struck in January 2020 when Kobe and his daughter Gianna, 13, along with seven others, died in a helicopter crash.
Three years after Kobe and Gianna’s untimely passing, Vanessa continues to honour her late husband and daughter in meaningful ways. In collaboration with Nike, a limited-edition triple-white “Halo” Kobe 8 sneaker was released today in honour of Kobe’s birthday, marking the grand return of the signature line.
Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant (Andrew D. Bernstein/NHLI via Getty Images)
Vanessa designed a special denim jacket in honour of Kobe and Gianna for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Inglewood.
The back of the jacket features a photo of Kobe and Taylor from the singer’s 1989 Tour in 2015 when Kobe congratulated her for breaking a venue record.
On the front is a heart with the lyric “Say you’ll remember me” from Swift’s song “Wildest Dreams.”