By Shakhnazarova
Vanessa Bryant was accidentally awarded an extra $1 million by a federal jury on Wednesday in her trial against Los Angeles County.
The panel of nine jurors agreed that deputies and firefighters invaded the privacy of Kobe Bryant’s widow and brought her emotional distress by taking photos of the remains of the NBA star and their daughter Gianna.
After awarding Bryant $16 million, a juror discovered an error on the verdict form and informed the court about it, USA Today reports.
It’s now set to be reduced to $15 million following the clerical error, Judge John Walter told the outlet.
The jurors also awarded $15 million to plaintiff Chris Chester, who lost his wife, Sarah, and daughter Payton in the Calabasas, California, accident.
Jurors intended to evenly distribute the damages.
“It was the nine jurors’ intent that both plaintiffs Vanessa Bryant and Christopher Chester to be awarded equally,” Walter told the outlet.
It’s reported that Bryant, 40, agreed to the change, with her attorney Luis Li calling the correction “just.”
“Throughout this case, Mrs. Bryant has sought only accountability,” Li told the outlet. “She has never asked for a specific dollar amount and has trusted the jury to do justice.”
Bryant reportedly plans to donate the hefty sum of cash to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation nonprofit founded by her late husband.
The charity, launched by Kobe Bryant after his retirement in 2016 as the Mamba Sports Foundation – a nod to his nickname, the Black Mamba – provides funding and sports programming for young athletes in underserved communities, according to its website.
The foundation was renamed in 2020 after the tragic crash.
During the trial, Bryant and Chester’s attorneys chronicled how photos of the victims’ remains from the crash scene were shared between employees from the LA County sheriff’s and fire departments and seen by some of their spouses.
The photos have not been made public, but Bryant testified that the prospect of the images being leaked made her “fear every day of being on social media and these popping up.”
