Vanessa Bryant Reacts to Taylor Swift Wearing a Kobe Quote Necklace
Taylor SwiftThe great bond he has with the Bryant family will never go out of style.
While strolling around New York City on Thursday, January 11, Swift, 34, paired her fluffy jacket and leggings with a delicate silver necklace. The Christmas bauble was designed for the capsule collection of the Mambacita Foundation with jewelry designer Zoe Chicco. Vanessa Bryantthe widow of the late basketball star Kobe Bryant, had teamed up with Chicco to celebrate Kobe and daughter Gianna. (Kobe and Gianna died in a fatal helicopter crash in January 2020. They were 41 and 13 years old, respectively. Vanessa founded the nonprofit Mambacita in their honor.)
For her part, Swift opted for the round pendant from the collection with the words “Bet on Yourself,” which Kobe often said, surrounded by a circle of diamonds.
Vanessa, 41, shared a photo of Swift's jewelry via her Instagram Story on Friday, January 12. “I love you,” Vanessa captioned her post, adding hearts and “Swifties” stickers.
Taylor Swift
DAMEBK/Bauer-Griffin/GC imagesVanessa also realized that Swift was apparently referencing Kobe's “Bet on Yourself” mantra during her TIME Interview with Person of the Year.
“We met with all the studios and all the streamers, and we gauged how it was perceived and valued, and whether they had high hopes and dreams for it,” she told the outlet in the December 2023 profile. “In the end, I did what I something I do more and more these days, namely betting on myself.”
After realizing Swift's Easter egg, Vanessa shared a screenshot of the TIME article about her story. “I love you,” she wrote again.
A lasting love. The decades-long romance between Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant tragically ended when the NBA legend passed away on January 26, 2020. Despite the heartbreaking conclusion of their relationship, their romance had many highs over the years. Kobe and Vanessa's love affair began not long after the duo first met in November […]
Kobe's bond with Swift dates back to 2015 when he surprised her during her performance Tour 1989 stop in Los Angeles. To celebrate her record 16 sold-out concerts at the Lakers arena, Kobe – who played his NBA career with the LA team – presented her with a championship banner to hang from the rafters.
“Friends hang occasionally but banners hang forever @taylorswift,” Kobe wrote via Instagram at the time.
Following Kobe and Gianna's tragic deaths, Swift sent her condolences to Vanessa and her other three daughters. (Kobe and Vanessa also shared Natalia, Bianka and Capri.)
“My heart breaks to hear the news of this unimaginable tragedy. I can't understand what the families are going through. Kobe meant so much to me and to all of us,” Swift wrote via Twitter (now X) in January 2020. “I send my prayers, love and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and everyone who lost someone on that flight.”
Vanessa and her youngest children later went to Swift Eras tour concert in August 2023 when she stopped in LA. Bianka, 6, even got the “22” hat in the middle of the show, which will be featured in the Grammy winner's October 2023 concert film.