Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant were together for 21 years before his tragic passing. Having met in 1999, it was love at first sight.
They were engaged six months after they started dating, and were married in 2001. In their 19 years of marriage, they have had four daughters. A beautiful and loving family to say the least.
However, not everyone was accepting of their relationship. In particular, Kobe’s parents, Joe and Pam, initially saw Vanessa as nothing more than a gold digger.
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Kobe Bryant’s parents wanted Vanessa Bryant to sign a prenuptial agreement
In 2001, Kobe Bryant was all set to get married to his fiance, Vanessa Laine. The two were madly in love and were ready to start a new chapter in their lives as husband and wife.
However, as revealed in the book Three-Ring Circus, Kobe’s parents Joe and Pam Bryant did not approve of their future daughter-in-law. They were unhappy that she wasn’t African-American. Additionally, they felt she was a gold digger, who given her family’s financial situation was after their son’s money.
As such, after failing to get him to call off the wedding, Kobe’s parents insisted on a prenuptial agreement, but to no avail.
“Like her husband, Pam wasn’t hearing any nonsense about some poor teenager marrying into the empire. It also pleased neither father nor mother that Vanessa was Latina and not African American. First, they urged their son to reconsider. Then they urged their son to wait. Then they urged their son—begged their son—to sign a prenuptial agreement. No way, Kobe Bryant said. No possible way.”
The Black Mamba refused to get a prenup, despite his parents’ pleas. A decision that resulted in his parents skipping his wedding entirely.
Kobe was upset after his fallout with his parents following his wedding to Vanessa
Kobe and Vanessa were wed on April 18th, 2001. It was a big day for Bryant, one that was unfortunately not attended by his own parents. Pam and Joe Bryant were unhappy with their son’s decision to marry a Latina, and this led to a further deterioration in their relationship.
To the point where Kobe would cry in the shower over the fact that his father didn’t attend his games anymore.
When Kobe and Vanessa got married, Kobe’s parents did not attend the wedding because she was Latina.
After the 2001 Finals, Kobe was crying in the shower with the trophy because his dad didn’t attend any games.
This was the reason why Kobe Bryant was upset in these photos. pic.twitter.com/0juc1ZhrOI
— Top Ball Coverage (@TopBallCoverage) June 25, 2020
It certainly was a tough time for Kobe and Vanessa. But, they endured and their relationship managed to improve over the years.
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