Source: JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX / Getty
The tragic passing of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna is still fresh on many of our minds, but likely no one more than his nuclear family.
This past Father’s Day, Vanessa Bryant was confronted with the reality of his absence. In honor of her late husband, Bryant shared an image of Kobe with all four of his daughters: Natalia, Gianna, Bianka and Capri.
She captioned the picture: “To the best girl dad~ Happy Father’s Day, Papi. We love you forever and always, always and forever,” she continued, adding, “Love you always, Nani, Gigi, B.B, Koko and VB.”
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The day also happened to coincide with the couple’s youngest daughter, Capri’s birthday. And before the family hit the beach, she shared her well wishes for her as well.
This is the second Father’s Day Vanessa and her daughters have spent without Kobe, who passed on January 26, 2020 in helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant.
The other victims were Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan.
The hashtag #GirlDad became popular as a tribute to Kobe, and other men who love raising their daughters, when ESPN journalist Elle Duncan shared her story of meeting Kobe and talking about parenting girls. She assumed being a star athlete, in a male-dominated arena, that he would want to have some sons, but Kobe corrected her, telling her that this was not the case for him. Instead, Bryant assured her: “Girls are the best. I would have five more girls if I could. I’m a girl dad.”
