Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa Bryant, has broken her silence on the death of her husband and daughter over the weekend. Vanessa expressed in an emotional post on Instagram that grief that her family is feeling at the moment because of the tragic death of the NBA legend and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. 

Kobe and Gianna were among the nine people who died in a helicopter crash at Calabasas, California on Sunday. The group was on their way to a basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks, California when the incident happened.

In her lengthy post, Vanessa said she and her three other daughters have been "completely devastated" by their loss. She also thanked the millions of fans that showed love and support to their family. 

Vanessa and Kobe's love story has been followed by fans for years. Here are some interesting facts about Mrs. Bryant and her love affair with the Los Angeles Lakers superstar. 

Vanessa Cornejo Urbieta was 17 when she first met the rising NBA star in 1999 while she was working as a background dancer on the Tha Eastsidaz's "G'd Up" music video. Kobe was 21 at the time. 

It was a whirlwind romance. They got engaged six months after they began dating. Reports indicated that Vanessa was also forced to finish high school through home study school to avoid media scrutiny. 

Kobe and Vanessa tied the knot on April 18, 2001. They did not sign a prenuptial agreement. 

Kobe's parents did not attend the wedding. Apparently, Kobe's parents did not want their son to marry a woman who is not African-American. Vanessa's father is Mexican-Italian while her mother is of Mexican and Filipino descent. 

Despite being married to a popular basketball player, Vanessa kept a very private life. She, currently, has six million followers on Instagram. Reports indicated that she made her account private after her husband and daughter died but put it back on public on Wednesday. 

The Bryant couple has four children together, all are girls. Their eldest, Natalia Diamante, was born in January 2003. She was followed by Gianna Maria-Onore, who was born in May 2006. Their third child, Bianka Bella, was born in December 2016, and the youngest, Capri Kobe, was born in June 2019.

Vanessa and Kobe's marriage was once rocked by a sexual assault scandal. In 2004, the Lakers star was accused of raping a 19-year-old hotel worker. Kobe denied the allegation, saying it was consensual and apologized for cheating on his wife. 

The charge was dropped a couple of weeks after it was filed. Kobe's accuser reportedly decided not to proceed with the case. 

Their marriage was tested once again in 2011. Vanessa filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences." Two years later, the couple announced that they had called off their divorce. They remained married up until Kobe's death.