Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his Vanessa are getting a divorce. Vanessa filed to divorce Kobe before a Los Angeles court on Friday, citing irreconcilable differences. They had been married for more than 10 years. Vanessa signed the papers on Dec. 1 while Kobe filed his response on Dec. 7.
In the filing, Vanessa also asked for the custody of their two children–Natalia, 8, and Gianna, 5. In his response, Kobe also asked to keep his children.
The couple met in 1999 during a music video shoot. He was 21 and she was 18. After only six months, they got engaged and eventually married in April 2001. Because of the high profile status of Kobe with the NBA and his team, the Los Angeles Lakers, they had gone through many tough times.
1. Kobe Bryant was charged with sexual assault in 2003. He appeared at a press conference with her and she was the picture of a supportive wife. She held his hand as Bryant admitted to committing adultery. She said then, “I know that my husband has made a mistake — the mistake of adultery. He and I will have to deal with that within our marriage, and we will do so. He is not a criminal.” The case was dismissed.
2. Kobe and Vanessa also settled a litigation last year with a former maid name Maria Jimenez who accused Vanessa of harassment. The couple then sued Jimenez back for violating a confidentiality agreement that the latter signed when she talked to reporters about the Bryants.
Also read: Divorce is Expensive–Stay Married
An official statement from the family stated, “The Bryants have resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a Judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012.” The Bryants also “ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this difficult time.”
It is really sad, especially for the children. Despite their request, this will again be another high profile sports divorce. Are divorces getting filed everyday in America?
