Hours after the tragic news of the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, 41, daughter Gianna, 13, and 7 others, Kim Kardashian, 39, posted a heartfelt message on her Twitter and Instagram accounts: “My heart is so heavy. No one should ever experience what the families involved are going through. This has affected us all so much but I cannot begin to imagine what Vanessa is feeling losing her husband and her baby girl. I cry just thinking about it.”
Alongside her message, Kim posted a precious photo of Kobe kissing Gianna at a basketball game. Gianna had the biggest smile on her face while sitting with her dad. Kobe, Gianna, Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, John’s wife, John’s daughter Allyssa, girls basketball coach Christina Mauser, and the helicopter pilot were among the 9 victims who died when the helicopter crashed at around 10 a.m. PT in Calabasas, California. The helicopter was headed to Mamba Academy in Sherman Oaks for basketball practice. Kobe and Gianna are survived by his wife/her mother Vanessa Bryant, 37, and his daughters/her sisters Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months.
Other members of the Kardashian family, who are longtime residents of Calabasas, posted tributes after the tragic news was confirmed. Kris Jenner’s first post on Instagram read, “Devastated by the news of losing our precious Kobe Bryant. Words cannot express our sadness. All my deepest love and prayers are with Vanessa and Kobe’s family at this time.” She later posted a photo of Kobe with Gianna and wrote, “I don’t have the words. Every ounce of my heart is with you, Vanessa.”
Khloe Kardashian, 35, was in disbelief over the tragic. She tweeted, “This can’t be real…there’s no way!!! My heart hurts.” She added one minute later, “Please don’t let this be True. I’m shaking.” Khloe was married from 2009 to 2016 to former Los Angeles Lakers player Lamar Odom, 40, who was a fellow teammate of Kobe’s over the course of their NBA careers.
