Kobe Bryant’s Estranged Parents Attend Memorial To Pay Tribute To Son And Granddaughter Gianna

Feb 25, 2020 by apost team

Thousands of fans, friends, and family packed the Staples Center on Monday for the Celebration of Life memorial for Kobe and Gianna Bryant. 

Among the 20,000 that filled the arena were Kobe Bryant’s estranged parents, Joe and Pamela Bryant, with whom he reportedly had no contact with since 2013.

This Monday saw Kobe Bryant’s parents Joe and Pamela Bryant attend the emotional memorial service which was hosted to honor their son and granddaughter Gianna’s lives.

According to ESPN, Kobe Bryant had cut off contact with his parents in 2013. The late basketball legend is said to have severed his relationship with his parents after they tried to auction off six high school memorabilia items for $500,000 without Kobe’s consent.

apost.com

Following the fallout, Joe and Pamela Bryant issued a statement to clarify what had happened.

"We regret our actions and statements related to the Kobe Bryant auction memorabilia," the statement read. 

"We apologize for any misunderstanding and unintended pain we may have caused our son and appreciate the financial support that he has provided to us over the years.

Kobe and Gianna Bryant died on January 26, when their helicopter crashed into a hillside in Calabasas, California.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Kobe’s wife Vanessa Bryant is suing the company that owned the helicopter that crashed and killed Kobe and Gianna "Gigi" Bryant along with seven other victims. Vanessa claims that the aircraft should have never flown and therefore shouldn't have caused the January 26th tragedy.

What do you think about his parents attending the memorial? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you pass this along to your friends and family!