World News | Kobe family settles photo lawsuit for $28.5 million

LOS ANGELES, March 1 (AP) — The family of the late Kobe Bryant has agreed to a $28.5 million settlement with Los Angeles County to resolve a lawsuit filed over representatives and firefighters sharing horrific photos of the NBA star. The remaining claims in the lawsuit, his 13-year-old daughter and other victims were killed in a 2020 helicopter crash, lawyers and court documents said Tuesday.

The figure includes the county’s newly negotiated $13.5 million payment and the $15 million awarded by a federal jury to Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, during her trial in August.

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The agreement resolves any future claims by Bryant’s three surviving daughters, related issues pending in state court, and other costs. A proposed settlement order was filed in federal court on Tuesday and must be approved by a judge.

“Today marks the success of Mrs. Bryant’s courageous fight to pursue those who engaged in this ludicrous act,” Bryant’s attorney, Louise Lee, said in a statement. “She fought for her husband, her daughter, and all those in the community whose deceased family members were treated with similar disrespect.”

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Attorney Mira Hashmall, representing Los Angeles County, called the statement “fair and reasonable,” adding, “We hope Ms. Bryant and her children continue to recover from their loss.”

Former Lakers star, five-time NBA champion and basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant was traveling with Gianna and seven others to a youth basketball game when their helicopter crashed in In the hills of Calabasas, west of Los Angeles. January 26, 2020.

Deputies and firefighters responding to the crash site took cellphone photos of the bodies and wreckage, which Hashmall argued at trial was an important part of assessing the situation.

But the photos were mostly shared among the sheriff and fire department employees, including some who were playing video games and attending awards dinners. They were also seen by some of their spouses, and in one case, by a bartender at a bar where a representative was drinking.

Lee told jurors that the close-up photos had no official or investigative purpose, just “visual gossip” shared out of dire curiosity.

Hashmall argued that when the sheriff ordered the photos removed, he acted swiftly and appropriately.

Vanessa Bryant testified tearfully during her 11-day trial that news of the photos added to her grief a month after the loss of her husband and daughter and the thought that they and their daughter might still be out there. She still has panic attacks and may one day see them online.

The verdict in her favor was misinterpreted in court as $16 million, but was later revised to $15 million.

Federal safety officials blamed the accident itself on pilot error.

Vanessa Bryant’s co-plaintiff in the trial, Chris Chester, was also awarded $15 million in the trial and reached his own settlement with the county in September. The settlement agreement seeks nearly $5 million in damages. (Associated Press)

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