A federal jury has found that Los Angeles County must pay Kobe Bryant’s widow $16 million (£13.6 million) for emotional distress caused by emergency service workers taking and sharing pictures of the NBA star’s body. Bryant was travelling with 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others to a youth basketball game when the helicopter they were aboard crashed into hills in Calabasas west of Los Angeles on January 26, 2020.
The nine jurors unanimously agreed with Vanessa Bryant and her attorneys that the photos invaded her privacy and caused emotional distress. She cried quietly as it was read.
The jury deliberated for four-and-a-half hours before reaching the verdict on Kobe Bryant Day, which is celebrated in LA on August 24 because it represents his jersey numbers - 8 and 24 - and is the day after his birthday. He would have turned 44 on Tuesday.
