Terry Crews Remembers ‘Father’ Kobe Bryant As Wife Rebecca Shares ‘Prayers’ For Vanessa  

Terry Crews was 'crushed' in the wake of Kobe and Gianna Bryant's deaths. His wife, Rebecca Tyler, shared those heavy-hearted feelings when both spoke to HollywoodLife at Steven Tyler's GRAMMY Awards Viewing Party.

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January 27, 2020 1:35AM EST
Terry Crews, Rebecca Tyler
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Kobe Bryant, Vanessa Bryant, Gianna Bryant and Natalia Bryant 'A Wrinkle in Time' film premiere, Arrivals, Los Angeles, USA - 26 Feb 2018
Gianna Bryant sits on the shoulders of her father, Kobe Bryant, as they attend the women's soccer match between the United States and China, in San DiegoChina USA Women soccer, San Diego, USA
The retirement of the Los Angeles Lakers player, Kobe Bryant's #8 and #24 jerseys was held Monday December 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California during half time of the game between with the Golden State Warriors. Kobe Bryant with his family (L-R) Gianna Maria-Onore, wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant, Kobe Bryant holding Bianka Bella and Natalia Diamante. 18 Dec 2017 Pictured: The retirement of the Los Angeles Lakers player, Kobe Bryant's #8 and #24 jerseys was held Monday December 18, 2017 in Los Angeles, California during half time of the game between with the Golden State Warriors. Kobe Bryant with his family (L-R) Gianna Maria-Onore, wife, Vanessa Laine Bryant, Kobe Bryant holding Bianka Bella and Natalia Diamante. Photo credit: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA TheMegaAgency.com +1 888 505 6342 (Mega Agency TagID: MEGA135063_001.jpg) [Photo via Mega Agency]
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Like Kobe Bryant, Terry Crews is a loving and devoted father. Given this connection, the America’s Got Talent host gave HollywoodLife his thoughts on the five-time NBA champion’s tragic death, just hours after it occurred on Jan. 26. “I didn’t know him personally but I met him at a few things. But I’m a father, I have a daughter, I have four daughters,” Terry EXCLUSIVELY told us at Steven Tyler’s GRAMMY Awards Viewing Party. Kobe also has four daughters: Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, Capri, 7 mos. and Gianna, who was just 13 years old when she sadly died alongside her father in the same helicopter incident.

Even though Terry only met Kobe a handful of times, that didn’t make his grief any easier to bear. “I’m crushed, I’m crushed,” Terry admitted. Thinking of Kobe and his three surviving daughters, in addition to his wife of nearly 19 years, Vanessa Bryant, 37, he added, “I mean, imagine that family, everything they’re going through right now. That kind of pain is unfathomable. My prayers and my heart and everything I have goes out to the family of Kobe.”

Meanwhile, Terry’s wife Rebecca King-Crews, 54, could empathize with Vanessa and her daughters. “I don’t even have words. No parent needs to bury their child. I mean, it’s hard enough to lose your husband. My mother was widowed young. I lost my dad at six-years-old in a drunk driving accident. Someone else was driving and took my father’s life,” Rebecca emotionally recalled to HollywoodLife. “So accidents are one of those things that you hope and pray doesn’t happen to you. And so, I can’t even breathe to be honest with you. I’m praying for Vanessa and her children, as well as for the other families. There are just no words.”

Kobe and his daughter, Gianna, lost their lives along with all the other people on-board a helicopter that took off from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport and was en route to Kobe’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks. Gianna and her teammate, Alyssa Altobelli — who was among the nine people who died in the helicopter, along with her parents John Altobelli and Keri Altobelli — were scheduled to play a basketball game that Kobe would coach at the facility that day, per CNN. The helicopter fatally crashed in Calabasas; Gianna and Alyssa’s team, The Lady Mavericks, paid tribute to their teammates after the horrific tragedy. Kobe was just 41 years old when he sadly left the world with his daughter.