Vanessa Bryant is commemorating her late daughter Gianna’s birthday with a poignant post.
The widow of Kobe Bryant took to Instagram on Friday, May 1, to mark what would have been her daughter’s 20th birthday.
“Happy birthday to my sweet baby angel, Gianna. Words can’t express how much I love and miss you mamacita,” Vanessa, 43, captioned the post, which featured a throwback image of herself kissing her daughter. “Mommy loves you so much! #HappyBirthday #20 💕💕”
Followers flocked to the comments section to share their support. LeBron James, Kim Kardashian, Kelly Rowland, La La Anthony, Kris Jenner, and Gianna’s older sister Natalia were among those who commented on the post with their love.
Kobe and Gianna – along with seven others – were tragically killed in a January 2020 helicopter crash while on the way to his Mamba Sports Academy for a basketball game. Kobe and Gianna were 43 and 13 respectively. (Kobe and Vanessa also shared daughters Natalia, 23, Bianka, 9, and Capri, 6.)
Each year, Vanessa remembers Gianna and Kobe on their respective birthdays.
“Happy birthday, Gigi! Mommy loves and misses you more than I could ever express. I love you Gianna. ❤️19 ♉️ 5/1 #Mambacita,” posted Vanessa last year.
In 2024, Vanessa reflected on what could have been as she marked what would have been Gianna’s 18th birthday.
“Happy birthday to my gorgeous girl, Gigi! I love you. I miss you. I’m so proud of you,” she wrote via Instagram at the time. “2024 was your year. You would’ve been graduating high school and choosing which college to go to. (I would’ve been trying my hardest to convince you to stay close to home).”
A lasting love. Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant’s decades-long romance came to a tragic end when the NBA legend died on January 26, 2020. Despite their relationship’s heartbreaking conclusion, their romance was filled with many highs over the years. The love between Kobe and Vanessa began not long after the duo first met in November […]
Meanwhile, Vanessa shared an emotional tribute to Kobe in August 2025 to mark what would have been the NBA star’s 47th birthday.
“We love and miss you and Gigi so much,” Vanessa wrote via Instagram alongside a photo of the couple sharing a kiss. “Sending our love to you. Happy birthday, baby. @kobebryant ❤️.”
Vanessa and Kobe first met on the set of Eastsidaz’s “G’d Up” music video in 1999, where Vanessa was working as a backup dancer. They tied the knot in 2001 before welcoming their daughters.
Following Kobe and Gianna’s deaths, Vanessa sued Los Angeles County for invasion of privacy and negligence after Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department employees took and distributed photos of the helicopter crash. In August 2022, she was awarded $16 million in damages. The following year, she settled for nearly $29 million, all of which was donated to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.