ALL NEWS

LA County wants Vanessa Bryant to undergo psychiatric exam

Oct 18, 2021, 4:54 PM

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2020, file photo, Vanessa Bryant speaks during a celebration of life for he...

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2020, file photo, Vanessa Bryant speaks during a celebration of life for her husband, Kobe Bryant, and daughter Gianna in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County is seeking to compel psychiatric evaluations for Kobe Bryant’s widow and others to determine if they truly suffered emotional distress after first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the basketball star, his teenage daughter and seven others, court documents say.

Vanessa Bryant, whose federal lawsuit against the county alleges invasion of privacy, has claimed in court papers that she has experienced “severe emotional distress” that has compounded the trauma of losing her husband and 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Kobe Bryant and the others were killed Jan. 26, 2020, when the helicopter they were aboard, on their way to a girls basketball tournament, crashed in the hills west of Los Angeles amid foggy weather. Federal safety officials blamed pilot error for the wreck.

Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit contends first responders, including firefighters and sheriff’s deputies, shared photographs of Kobe Bryant’s body with a bartender and passed around “gratuitous photos of the dead children, parents and coaches.” The Los Angeles Times first reported that a sheriff’s department internal investigation found deputies shared photos of victims’ remains.

None of the first responders were directly involved in the investigation of the crash or had any legitimate purpose in taking or passing around the grisly photos, the suit contends. Gov. Gavin Newsom last year approved legislation prompted by the helicopter crash that makes it a crime for first responders to take unauthorized photos of deceased people at the scene of an accident or crime.

“Ms. Bryant feels ill at the thought of strangers gawking at images of her deceased husband and child, and she lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online,” court documents say.

Attorneys for Los Angeles County want the court to order Bryant and other family members of the people who were killed in the crash, including children, to undergo psychiatric evaluations as independent medical examinations. The lawyers propose that the evaluations be audio- and video-recorded and last eight hours for adults and four to six hours for children.

The county contends that while the families “have undoubtedly suffered severe distress and trauma from the crash and resulting loss of their loved ones, their distress was not caused by (the first responders) or any accident site photos that were never publicly disseminated.”

LA County attorneys wrote in court papers that such psychiatric examinations are “necessary to evaluate the nature and extent” of the families’ alleged injuries.

Vanessa Bryant’s attorneys, in filings submitted Friday, said the county is resorting to “scorched-earth discovery tactics” designed to bully her and the family members of other victims into “abandoning their pursuit of accountability.”

Attorneys for Los Angeles County, in a statement Monday to The Associated Press, said the county has “great sympathy” for Bryant’s losses.

“It’s horrific, the worst imaginable,” they said in the statement. “But she sued the County for something that didn’t happen. There’s been no public disclosure of crash site photos, none. So we see this case as a money grab and are doing what’s necessary to defend our client.”

Attorneys for Bryant declined to immediately comment on Monday afternoon.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

All News

IRS texts are bogus. Picture shows a sign saying "warning, scam alert" on a keyboard...

Britt Johnson

Millions to be paid for Utah’s largest real estate scheme settlement

Over $10 million in refunds will go to victims of a Utah-based real estate scheme following the settlement of a lawsuit.

7 minutes ago

Outside of the Yale University Law School is pictured on September 27, 2018 in New Haven, Connectic...

Zenebou Sylla, CNN

Some New England universities, including Yale, break $90,000 barrier for total tuition cost in upcoming school year

(CNN) — Several New England universities and colleges, including Yale, have reached a pinnacle of at least $90,000 for undergraduate tuition and costs starting this fall. Yale University, Tufts University, Boston University (BU), and Wellesley College are among a few private institutions that will top this year’s costs for tuition, housing and other expenses, according to […]

8 hours ago

A West Jordan man was arrested Tuesday for investigation of negligent homicide after he allegedly t...

Pat Reavy, ksl.com

West Jordan man shot, killed best friend while trying to ‘be funny,’ police say

A West Jordan man was arrested Tuesday for investigation of negligent homicide after shooting his "best friend."

9 hours ago

FILE: Cedar High School in Cedar City is pictured on Wednesday April 7, 2021....

Tammy Kikuchi and Emma Keddington

Cedar High School grapples with mascot name, five years after it was changed

The Iron School District Board of Education is grappling with changing the Cedar High School mascot back from "Reds" to "Redmen." 

9 hours ago

Dairy cows across the country, specifically in Texas, Kansas and New Mexico are getting sick with a...

Alexandrea Bonilla

Cows across the country are getting sick with a “flu-like” illness

Utah is altering the requirements for livestock brought into the state after multiple cows across the country have gotten sick with a flu-like illness.  

10 hours ago

FILE: The bust of 30 pounds of fentanyl in American Fork on March 21 highlights the drug problem Ut...

Heather Peterson and Curt Gresseth

DEA warns fentanyl most deadly drug in U.S. and Utah history

The DEA said Utah is on pace to see double the amount of fentanyl this year than last.

12 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Mother and cute toddler child in a little fancy wooden cottage, reading a book, drinking tea and en...

Visit Bear Lake

How to find the best winter lodging in Bear Lake, Utah

Winter lodging in Bear Lake can be more limited than in the summer, but with some careful planning you can easily book your next winter trip.

Happy family in winter clothing at the ski resort, winter time, watching at mountains in front of t...

Visit Bear Lake

Ski more for less: Affordable ski resorts near Bear Lake, Utah

Plan your perfect ski getaway in Bear Lake this winter, with pristine slopes, affordable tickets, and breathtaking scenery.

front of the Butch Cassidy museum with a man in a cowboy hat standing in the doorway...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking Back: The History of Bear Lake

The history of Bear Lake is full of fascinating stories. At over 250,000 years old, the lake has seen generations of people visit its shores.

silhouette of a family looking over a lake with a bird in the top corner flying...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

8 Fun Activities To Do in Bear Lake Without Getting in the Water

Bear Lake offers plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy without having to get in the water. Catch 8 of our favorite activities.

Wellsville Mountains in the spring with a pond in the foreground...

Wasatch Property Management

Advantages of Renting Over Owning a Home

Renting allows you to enjoy luxury amenities and low maintenance without the long-term commitment and responsibilities of owning a home.

Clouds over a red rock vista in Hurricane, Utah...

Wasatch Property Management

Why Southern Utah is a Retirement Paradise

Retirement in southern Utah offers plenty of cultural and recreational opportunities. Find out all that this region has to offer.

LA County wants Vanessa Bryant to undergo psychiatric exam