Vanessa Bryant’s Youngest Daughters Recreate a Photo Of Gigi and Natalia In the Sweetest Tribute To Their Late Sister
Photo: vanessabryant/Instagram
Vanessa Bryant is inarguably a strong woman. After losing her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter, Gigi Bryant, last year, the 39-year-old mother of four has shown incredible strength and resilience in the face of such hardship. Along with her daughters, Vanessa Bryant has kept the memory of Kobe and Gigi Bryant alive through touching tributes. Most recently, Vanessa Bryant shared an especially moving tribute to her late daughter, Gianna, on her Instagram page.
On Saturday, Vanessa Bryant posted a picture of her daughters, Bianka, 4, and Capri, 2, recreating a photo of Gigi and Natalia Bryant back when they were little girls.
The first photo in the post shows Gigi and Natalia, sitting on a beautiful tiled bench in Capri, Italy. In the second post, Vanessa Bryant’s two youngest two daughters, Bianka and Capri, sit on the exact same bench smiling and waving at the camera. The youngest Bryant sisters are wearing matching lemon-patterned dresses. It is remarkable how similar the two younger girls look to their older sisters.
Bryant captioned the photo: “Missing my baby girl, Gigi. My #2. Mambacita,” along with a few lemon emojis and a heart.
This summer, Vanessa took her daughters on a family trip to Italy–the country where Kobe Bryant grew up.
For the past week, Vanessa has been sharing pictures of her European vacation with her followers on Instagram. Before her visit to Italy, Vanessa Bryant and her daughters made stops in Croatia and the French Riviera. By the looks of her Instagram page, the Bryant women especially had fun in Italy, swimming, taking pizza-making lessons, and eating pasta together.
It makes sense that Vanessa would take her daughters to the country their father grew up in. Kobe Bryant loved Italy so much that he and Vanessa purposefully gave his daughters Italian names to honor the country he grew up in.
Famously, Kobe Bryant grew up Rieti, Italy where his father played professional basketball.
Kobe Bryant always had a special place in his heart for Italy, saying: “I grew up here in Italy, it’s a country that will always be close to my heart. Always.” According to Italians, Kobe’s Italian was perfect. When he passed away, the country mourned the loss of a beloved icon they considered one of their own.
Italy’s basketball federation ordered a minute of silence before every basketball game the week after Bryant’s death. “It’s a small but heartfelt and deserved gesture to honor the life and memory of Kobe Bryant, an absolute champion who always had Italy in his heart,” said the federation’s president in a statement.
We’re glad that Vanessa Bryant is showing her daughters a slice of their late father’s life. And we’re also glad to see that she keeps the spirit of Gianna alive through her youngest daughters.
