Source: FREDERIC J. BROWN / Getty
Kobe Bryant‘s widow has addressed what appears to be a worsening rift between her and her mother in the aftermath of her famous husband’s tragic death earlier this year.
Back in September, Vanessa Bryant said she was blindsided by her mother airing her family’s business to the public with claims of her daughter evicting her from a home. In addition, Sofia Laine, Vanessa Bryant’s mother, claimed her daughter was trying to cut her off financially, prompting a $5 million lawsuit to be filed.
Vanessa Bryant’s mother was on Spanish show ‘El Gordo y la Flaca’ to explain her recent falling out with Vanessa.
Vanessa’s mother, Sofia, claims Kobe Bryant took care of her financially while he was alive but Vanessa cut ties with her after Kobe’s death
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The family dispute came in the months after NBA star Kobe Bryant and his teenage daughter Gigi died in a tragic helicopter crash in January.
Now, Vanessa Byant is filling in some of the blanks to add some context to her truth on the matter. The 38-year-old widow is obviously still grieving her loss and explained that the last thing she needs to deal with is her mother looking for a payday at her expense.
Sources close to Vanessa Bryant shared a statement with NewsOne attributed to her that provides a glimpse into the unfortunate family drama that includes allegations of extortion over claims of unfulfilled promises of material items:
“My mother is continuing to try and find ways to extort a financial windfall from our family. I have supported her for nearly twenty years, and she was never my or Kobe’s personal assistant, nor was she a nanny. I have always been a stay-at-home mother and my husband and I were our daughter’s full-time care givers. For nearly two decades, we arranged for my mother to live in our nearby properties, at no cost to her because she had claimed that she didn’t have any money to buy her own home after her divorce. My husband and I felt it was best for her not to live in our home. She watched our girls from time to time, just like most grandparents do. She did not take care of business issues or expenses. She was a grandmother who was supported by me and her son-in-law
at my request.
“She now wants to back charge me $96 per hour for supposedly working 12 hours a day for 18 years for watching her grandchildren. In reality, she only occasionally babysat my older girls when they were toddlers. As of ten years ago, our kids were full time students and athletes and I didn’t have another child until 2016. Her claims are obviously false but I still tried, repeatedly, to work things out with my mother.
“Contrary to what she’s saying, I haven’t left my children’s side since the accident except to visit the cemetery to make arrangements. Earlier this year, I was looking for a new home for her and, a week later, she went on television and gave an interview disparaging our family and making false accusations while living rent-free in a gated apartment complex in Newport Coast. Even after that betrayal, I was willing to provide my mother with monthly support for the rest of her life and that wasn’t good enough. She, instead, contacted me through intermediaries (contrary to what she claims, my phone number hasn’t changed) and demanded $5 million, a house and a Mercedes SUV. Because I did not give in to her hurtful threats and monetary requests, she has spiraled out of control and is making false and absurd claims.
“She is now trying to get more money than my husband and I ever spent to provide for her while he was alive. She has no regard for how this is affecting my children and me. She wants to live off of my daughters and me for the rest of her life while continuing to collect monthly alimony from her ex-husband since 2004.
“My husband and I have never discouraged or kept her from providing for herself. This lawsuit is frivolous, disgraceful, and unimaginably hurtful. My husband never promised my mother anything, and he would be so disappointed in her behavior and lack of empathy.”
— Vanessa Bryant
SEE ALSO:
Vanessa Bryant Celebrates ‘Kobe Bryant Day’ With Tributes To Her Late Husband And Daughter
Following Kobe Bryant’s Death, California Bill Seeks To Make Crime Scene Photo Sharing Illegal
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