On Kobe Bryant Day, Ciara also posted the shot of her with Vanessa, BB and Koko, writing, “Seeing you and the girls smile makes my heart smile. You’re the toughest mama I know. Seeing you put one foot forward each day is admirable. It ain’t easy, but if I know one thing, Mamba Queen’s capable of it all.” She added, “Love you V. @VanessaBryant. #MambaDay.”
WNBA rookie Sabrina Ionescu, who considered Kobe a mentor and Gigi a protégée while she climbed the national ranks at the University of Oregon, has been over for movie night—Kill Bill, starring Uma Thurman as the other “Black Mamba,” naturally. Also last month, Kobe’s sister Shaya Bryant-Tabb and her kids Autumn and Logan cuddled up on the couch for a sweet snap with Capri, who’s now old enough for swimming lessons, and Vanessa recently spent time with her other sister-in-law, Sharia Washington, as well.
Monica told Entertainment Tonight in August that she and Vanessa’s other close friends were quick to rally for her.
“Each day is a struggle and I think one of the greatest aspects of our friendship, which has spanned now for almost 11 years, almost 12, it’s been really, really important to just simply be there,” the singer said. “Whatever she is feeling each day is something we will never understand, that level of pain, that level of heartache, also respecting her privacy. People have been reaching out for a very long time, but she’s always been a private person.”
Capri is “the happiest baby I have ever come in contact with,” Monica continued. “BB, the dancing machine, is just pure joy,” she shares. “And you can see, even in the heartache, they are the greatest blessing. They are the greatest gift that they left. But as a mom, I have never seen the pain of losing a child. We try to keep her covered. She has an amazing village, her sister is amazing, La La’s always been there. She has a great group of friends, the Gasol family. People have really stepped up and really been giving an outpouring of love.”
