Photo: Patrick T. FALLON/AFP/Getty
Vanessa Bryantwill donate proceeds from her multi-million dollar payout awarded to her from her lawsuit against Los Angeles County to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.
On Wednesday, a juryawarded Bryant $16 millionafter she sued L.A. County over the leaked images of the bodies ofKobe Bryant, their daughterGianna Bryantand other victims of the fatal January 2020helicopter crash.
According toThe Times,Li did not share how much Vanessa plans to donate.
Vanessa and Kobe Bryant in 2019.Stefanie Keenan/Getty
In a statement to PEOPLE on the verdict, Li says, “From the beginning, Vanessa Bryant has sought only accountability, but our legal system does not permit her to force better policies, more training or officer discipline.”
He adds, “Those measures are the responsibility of the sheriff’s and fire departments — responsibilities that Mrs. Bryant’s efforts have exposed as woefully deficient, even giving amnesty to the wrongdoers.”
He goes on to salute Vanessa, 40, stating that she “never faltered, even when the county attempted to force her to submit to an involuntary psychiatric examination.”
RELATED VIDEO: Vanessa Bryant Says She ‘Broke Down’ After Learning of Crash Site Photos of Kobe, Gianna: ‘I Can’t Escape’
Li says that Vanessa is “deeply grateful” to “Good Samaritans” Ralph Mendez and Luella Weireter, “who brought to light the decades-old practice of taking and sharing photos of accident and crime victims for no legitimate purpose.”
“It is Mrs. Bryant’s hope that this important civil rights case will put to a stop this abhorrent and callous behavior,” Li continues.
As Vanessa’s 11-week trial ended, her co-plaintiff Chris Chester, who tragically lost his wifeSarahand their 13-year-old daughterPaytonin the crash,was also awarded $15 million.
Reacting to the verdict, Vanessa was seen sobbing in court. While holding her head down, Vanessa had both of her hands together as if she was in prayer during the moment. She hugged her attorney Luis Li for a few minutes before hugging Chris.
She also responded to the decision on Instagram, sharing a selfie of her and Kobe smiling with Gianna,writingin the caption, “All for you! I love you! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi!#Betonyourself#MambaDay82422 💜💛💜💛#MambaMentality”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The decision came down coincidentally onKobe BryantDay aka Mamba Day which is a day honoring the late Los Angeles Lakers legend whose jersey numbers were #8 and #24.
source: people.com
