Vanessa Bryant Asks For Privacy Trial Postponement

CALABASAS, CA — Attorneys for Vanessa Bryant are requesting the postponement of a trial related to a privacy lawsuit alleging that Los Angeles County firefighters and sheriff’s deputies shared unauthorized photos of her late husband after his fatal helicopter crash.

Firefighters and deputies forwarded graphic photos of the crash to friends, and some of them were reported bragging about the images, Bryant’s suit alleges. 18 employees of the Sheriff’s and Fire Department shared “improper” photos, and 66 county employees have either knowledge or documents related to them, the suit alleges.

The trial is currently set for Nov.16, but Bryant’s attorneys are asking that it be postponed until April 27, 2022, due to the need for numerous depositions, forensic examinations, and cloud-based storage accounts to try to recover footage attorneys say that defendants deleted.

“Maintaining the current schedule would prejudice Mrs. Bryant’s ability to prosecute her claims and hold defendants accountable,” Bryant’s attorneys write.

A hearing is set for June 7 to discuss the matter.

Bryant’s suit alleges that county officials used personal cell phones to take and share between 25 and 100 “gratuitous photos of the dead children, parents, and coaches” which had “no conceivable investigatory purposes.” The suit seeks damages for negligence and invasion of privacy.

LA County lawyers have called Bryant’s suit a “fishing expedition” and said it is without merit because the photos were not publicly distributed.

—City News Service contributed to this report.

See also:

LA County Firefighters Could Be Fired For Sharing Bryant Pics | Calabasas, CA Patch
Vanessa Bryant Lacks Basis To Sue Lost Hills Deputies: County | Calabasas, CA Patch
4 Lost Hills Deputies Accused Of Sharing Kobe Crash Photos | Calabasas, CA Patch