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Allen Berezovsky/Getty ImagesKobe Bryant‘s widow Vanessa Bryant has opened up about her grief in the wake of her family’s unimaginable loss.
In an Instagram post Monday, Bryant wrote that she’s been “reluctant to put my feelings into words,” but wanted to share her experiences in case anybody in a similar situation could relate.
Kobe and daughter Gianna Bryant were among the nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, on January 26.
Kobe Bryant was 41 years old; Gianna, nicknamed “Gigi,” was 13.
“My brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone. I can’t process both at the same time,” Vanessa Bryant wrote. “It’s like I’m trying to process Kobe being gone, but my body refuses to accept my Gigi will never come back to me.”
“It feels wrong,” she added. “Why should I be able to wake up another day when my baby girl isn’t being able to have that opportunity?!… She had so much life to live.”
Vanessa Bryant married the NBA star in 2001. They had four daughters: Natalia, 17, Gigi, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months.
In the days after the crash, Vanessa Bryant thanked the public for their outpouring of support, and wrote that she’s taken comfort in “knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved.”
Still, she added that raising three children while in mourning has been difficult.
“I realize I need to be strong and be here for my 3 daughters. Mad I’m not with Kobe and Gigi but thankful I’m here with Natalia, Bianka and Capri,” she wrote. “Please continue to pray for all.”
A public memorial service for Kobe and Gianna Bryant will be held on the morning of February 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
