Published 13:00 IST, December 18th 2020
Vanessa Bryant EXPOSES her mother's hurtful extortion lawsuit filed after Kobe's death
According to recent reports, Vanessa Bryant has exposed her mother Sofia Laine for accusing her of extortion after Kobe Bryant's death.
In September, Vanessa Bryant's mother Sofia Laine went on record to talk about her daughter, and how she was thrown out of the house. The matter escalated, with various people calling out Vanessa without any further report. The 38-year-old later lashed out at her mother, calling her out for discussing the private matter in public. Now, she has once again exposed her mother, who was trying to extort her.
Vanessa lashes out at her mother for extortion lawsuit
As per recent reports, Vanessa accused Laine of extorting a financial windfall in the form of a "frivolous" and "disgraceful" lawsuit after Kobe Bryant and Gianna passed away. As per USA Today Sports, Vanessa says she has been supporting Laine for almost 20 years. "I have always been a stay-at-home mother and my husband and I were our daughters' full-time caregivers," she said, refusing to agree with her mother's claims.
Also read | Sofia Laine interview: Vanessa Bryant mother claims her daughter has kicked her out of Kobe Bryant's house
Sofia Laine lawsuit: Why was Vanessa Bryant being sued?
As per Laine's lawsuit, she was Bryant's unpaid nanny and personal assistant. She added that Bryant, before his death, had promised to take care of her for the "rest of her life". "Unfortunately, Kobe Bryant's promises did not see the light of day as he is now deceased, and Vanessa Bryant took each and every step she could to void and cancel all of Kobe Bryant's promises made to (Laine)," reads Laine's lawsuit.
Vanessa has dismissed the rumours, stating that for two decades, she has arranged for her mother to live in their properties. As per the statement, they paid for her as she claimed to have no money after her divorce. "My husband and I felt it was best for her not to live in our home," Vanessa added, mentioning that she watched the girls only occasionally, and never took care of their expenses.
Laine's lawsuit, however, claims that she worked over 12 hours per day, not even taking a break while taking care of her children as Vanessa provided a "gruelling schedule and detailed instructions". Reports add that she is seeking $5 million, a Mercedes and a house. "My husband never promised my mother anything and he would be so disappointed in her behaviour and lack of empathy," Vanessa said.
She added that her mother is not aware of how it affects them, and only babysat the older girls a few times as toddlers. Bryant claims her mother wants to live off of her and her granddaughters for "the rest of her life while continuing to collect monthly alimony from her ex-husband since 2004".
Sofia Laine interview
(Image credits: AP)
Updated 13:00 IST, December 18th 2020