Bryant family issues statement requesting respect for privacy

From left, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, wife Vanessa and daughter Natalia Diamante Bryant are seen before a Connecticut-UCLA women's basketball game in Los Angeles on Nov. 21, 2017.

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Jan. 30, 2020 6:45 PM PT

As the media frenzy continues to swirl over the death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash Sunday, the Bryant family issued a statement Thursday requesting respect for its privacy.

“We are disappointed in some media’s broad use of unnamed sources and blind quotes, and remind everyone that the Bryant family will speak on our own behalf when appropriate,” said Molly Carter, president of Kobe Inc. “To this point, no one has been authorized to speak on behalf of the family regarding any personal details surrounding Sunday’s tragedy, including stories related to the family’s previous air travel decisions. We ask members of the media for respect and responsible judgment during this difficult time. These inaccurate reports only add unnecessary pain to a grieving family.”

Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, issued a statement in an Instagram letter posted Wednesday. She opened it by writing:

“My girls and I want to thank the millions of people who’ve shown support and love during this horrific time.Thank you for all the prayers. We definitely need them.”

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Bill Plaschke

Bill Plaschke, an L.A. Times sports columnist since 1996, is a member of the National Sports Media Hall of Fame and California Sports Hall of Fame. He has been named national Sports Columnist of the Year nine times by the Associated Press, and twice by the Society of Professional Journalists and National Headliner Awards. He is the author of six books, including a collection of his columns entitled “Plaschke: Good Sports, Spoilsports, Foul Balls and Oddballs.” Plaschke is also a panelist on the popular ESPN daily talk show, “Around the Horn.” He is in the national Big Brothers/Big Sisters Alumni Hall of Fame and has been named Man of the Year by the Los Angeles Big Brothers/Big Sisters as well as receiving a Pursuit of Justice Award from the California Women’s Law Center. Plaschke has appeared in a movie (“Ali”), a dramatic HBO series (“Luck”) and, in a crowning cultural moment he still does not quite understand, his name can be found in a rap song “Females Welcome” by Asher Roth.

Bryant family issues statement requesting respect for privacy

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