Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were laid to rest in a private funeral in California last Friday, two weeks after they were tragically killed in a helicopter crash alongside eight others. The basketball player's widow Vanessa and her family flew in from Las Vegas to pay their respects at Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar, California in a ceremony that was extremely hard for everyone, ET reports. Kobe is survived by Vanessa and their three other children, Natalia, 17, Bianka, three, and Capri, seven months.
VIDEO: Kobe and Gigi Bryant laid to rest in a private funeral
Kobe and Gigi were among the passengers headed to the NBA star's Mamba Sports Academy training facility on 26 January when their helicopter crashed. The pair's death certificates, obtained by The Sun, have listed their cause of death as blunt force trauma.
Kobe and Gigi were laid to rest in a private funeral in California
A wider, public memorial service will be held on 24 February at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The venue is particularly meaningful as it has been dubbed by fans The House That Kobe Built, while Vanessa has explained the significance of the date, writing on Instagram: "#2, #24, #20 years as a Laker and the amount of years Kob and I were together."
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While the 37-year-old has been grieving in private, Vanessa has also been expressing her sadness on Instagram. On Tuesday, she shared a video montage of her teenage daughter Gigi playing basketball and admitted: "I've been reluctant to put my feelings into words. My brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone. I can't process both at the same time. It's like I'm trying to process Kobe being gone but my body refuses to accept my Gigi will never come back to me. It feels wrong.
Kobe is survived by his wife Vanessa and their three other daughters
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"Why should I be able to wake up another day when my baby girl isn't being able to have that opportunity?! I'm so mad. She had so much life to live. Then I realize I need to be strong and be here for my 3 daughters. Mad I'm not with Kobe and Gigi but thankful I'm here with Natalia, Bianka and Capri. I know what I'm feeling is normal. It's part of the grieving process. I just wanted to share in case there's anyone out there that's experienced a loss like this. God I wish they were here and this nightmare would be over. Praying for all of the victims of this horrible tragedy. Please continue to pray for all."
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