Vanessa Bryant

Vanessa Marie Bryant (born Vanessa Urbieta Cornejo on May 5, 1982) is a Mexican-American businesswoman and philanthropist. She was married to American professional basketball player Kobe Bryant and has spent much of her career overseeing philanthropic ventures, business endeavors, and community support programs.

Bryant was born in Los Angeles, California, to Mexican immigrant Sofía Urbieta. After her parents divorced when she was three years old, she was raised by her mother, who worked multiple jobs as a shipping clerk. In 1990, her mother married Stephen Laine, and Bryant began using her stepfather's surname, officially changing her name to Vanessa Marie Laine in 2000. She grew up in Garden Grove and attended Marina High School in Huntington Beach.

In August 1999, Bryant was offered work as a music video extra and background dancer after attending a concert. She went on to appear in music videos for musical acts including Krayzie Bone, Snoop Dogg, and Tha Eastsidaz. While working on a video set in November 1999, the 17-year-old Bryant met Kobe Bryant. The intense attention surrounding their relationship caused disruptions at her high school, leading her to complete her senior year through independent study before graduating in 2000.

The couple became engaged six months after meeting and were married on April 18, 2001, at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, California, after which she officially became Vanessa Marie Bryant. Together, they had four daughters: Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, and Capri. Although Bryant filed for divorce in December 2011 citing irreconcilable differences, the couple publicly reconciled and called off the divorce thirteen months later.

Throughout her career, Bryant has led and supported numerous charitable projects. In 2007, she and her husband established the VIVO Foundation, later renamed the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation, which grants scholarships to minority college students and collaborates with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Bryant and her husband were also founding donors of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Additionally, she served as the president and chief executive officer of Granity Studios and worked with the nonprofit Baby2Baby to assist women and children living in poverty, receiving a philanthropy award at the organization's 10-year gala in November 2021.

Following the deaths of her husband and second-oldest daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, Bryant renamed her husband's foundation the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation to aid underserved youth athletes. In May 2021, she launched the Mambacita clothing line in partnership with the female-owned brand Dannijo, directing all proceeds to the foundation. In February 2023, Bryant settled a major invasion-of-privacy lawsuit against Los Angeles County for $28.85 million concerning crash site photos, pledging to donate her lawsuit proceeds to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.