Life doesn't stop. Even when the world feels like it should. It’s been six years since that foggy January morning in Calabasas. Six years since the helicopter crash that took Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. You’ve seen the murals. You’ve seen the jerseys. But honestly, the real story isn't in the rafters of the Crypto.com Arena anymore. It’s in a ranch-style photo shoot in early 2026, where Vanessa Bryant and her daughters—Natalia, Bianka, and Capri—are posing in front of a vintage red pickup truck, wearing cowboy hats and looking... happy.
Or at least, moving forward.
There’s this weird thing we do with famous families where we expect them to stay frozen in grief. We want them to be a living monument. But kobe bryant and family have spent the last half-decade doing something much harder: they’ve been growing up.
The Business of Legacy (and a $600 Million Estate)
People don’t usually talk about the paperwork, but let's be real—the legal side of this was a mess for a minute. When Kobe passed, his estate was valued at roughly $600 million. You’d think a guy that meticulous would have every "i" dotted, right? Well, life happens fast.
His youngest, Capri, wasn't actually in the family trust yet. She was only seven months old at the time of the accident. Vanessa and the co-trustees had to head to court to get the documents amended so "KoKo" wouldn't be left out. It sounds like corporate boredom, but it’s the kind of stuff that breaks families apart if they aren't careful.
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Then there was the lawsuit with Vanessa’s own mother, Sofia Laine. That got messy. Allegations of unpaid nanny work and broken promises about life-long support. It was settled in 2021, but it serves as a reminder that even at the highest levels of fame, family dynamics are still, well, human. Sometimes they're actually kind of exhausting.
Natalia Bryant is More Than a "Legacy Kid"
Natalia is 23 now. Think about that. She was a teenager when the world changed, and now she’s a cum laude graduate from the University of Southern California (USC). She walked that stage in May 2025 with the Mamba symbol embroidered on her graduation stole. A quiet nod. Not a loud one.
She’s basically carving out a dual life:
- The Model: Signed with IMG Models, walking for Versace, and appearing in Chanel campaigns.
- The Filmmaker: She used her degree to act as creative director for a Lakers sizzle video recently.
She’s also the one who has to play "right-hand woman" to Vanessa. It’s a lot of pressure. You can see it in how she talks about her sisters. She’s mentioned that Bianka, who’s now 9, is the one with the "bold personality" who tries to style her outfits. It’s a glimpse into a house that sounds surprisingly normal, despite the gold-plated history.
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Carrying the "Mambacita" Torch
The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation isn't just a charity name on a sweatshirt anymore. In the last year, they’ve been refurbishing courts everywhere—from Pearson Park in Anaheim to sites across the country.
The goal is pretty simple: equal opportunity for girls and boys in sports. It's the "Play Gigi’s Way" philosophy. Vanessa has been incredibly protective of this. She isn't just a figurehead; she’s the one fighting for the "Mambacita" trademark and ensuring that Nike releases, like the Kobe 8 "Mambacita" with the butterfly theme, actually mean something.
The Quiet Reality of the Extended Family
What about the rest of the Bryants? This is where it gets nuanced. Kobe’s relationship with his parents, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant and Pamela, was famously "sh*t" (his words, not mine) for years. They weren't at the wedding. They tried to sell his memorabilia. It was a whole thing.
But toward the end, there were signs of a thaw. Coach Wayne Slappy mentioned seeing Kobe and Joe share a hug at a basketball camp not long before the crash. Since then, the parents and Kobe’s sisters, Sharia and Shaya, have mostly stayed out of the press. They live in Las Vegas. They’re private. In a world of "tell-all" books, their silence is actually pretty respectful. They lost a son and a granddaughter. There isn't much more to say.
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What's Next for the Bryant Family?
If you’re looking for "lessons" from how this family has handled the unthinkable, it’s not about being perfect. It’s about being intentional.
Next Steps for Observers and Fans:
- Look at the Trust, Not the Highlights: If you have kids, take the "Capri Lesson." Update your estate plans every single time a major life event happens. Don't assume "tomorrow" is a guarantee.
- Support the Foundation: The Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation is where the actual work of his legacy lives. They focus on underserved athletes. Check out their local court builds.
- Respect the Space: As Natalia and her sisters grow, they are becoming their own people. Natalia is a filmmaker. Bianka is a budding stylist. Capri is just a kid living her life.
The "Mamba Mentality" was always about the work. It looks like the work of being a family is the one thing they’re most committed to finishing.