Helicopter Crash

An emotional Lakers GM Rob Pelinka took the stand -- barely able to speak when talking about how special his relationship with Kobe really was. Pelinka says he still considers Kobe to be his best friend, and that having Kobe as a friend was like knowing a super hero.

Pelinka revealed he was in church when he got a call about the helicopter crash, and rushed to meet Vanessa at John Wayne Airport. Pelinka says deputies took him and Vanessa close to the crash site, and were promised the area would be kept private.

Pelinka says Vanessa has fought to protect the beauty of her family, and if the photos from the scene were to get out, there's fear for what it could do to her daughters. He also revealed that in June 2020, Vanessa went to the site of the crash to touch the soil where Kobe and GiGi were before they went to heaven.

Vanessa Bryant dissolved into tears as her lawyer addressed the jury in opening statements, saying the 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of her husband and child took the pictures "for a laugh like they were souvenirs."

Vanessa's lawyer said the deputies "poured salt in an unhealable wound" by using their cellphones to take the photos for personal use. The lawyer described "pictures of broken bodies, close-ups of limbs and burnt flesh."

The lawyer played the deposition of a Sheriff's detective who said his wife didn't want to see the photos, and that's when he told her they showed "piles of meat."

The attorney says Vanessa lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" that someday she and her family will see the photos.

The lawyer said Vanessa's children were her everything, Kobe was her everything, and she will be forever haunted by what the deputies did.

The crux of the case involves L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of Kobe and daughter Gianna at the crash scene and then shared them with colleagues. In one case, a deputy allegedly showed the photos to a woman at a bar, and the bartender is the one who blew the whistle on him.

Vanessa claims in the lawsuit ... the conduct of the deputies caused her severe emotional distress, adding it was an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County responded by claiming Vanessa's emotional distress is rooted in the crash, not the photos.

Boosie Badazz says Twitter is the only social media platform he has left ... and he's using it to fire off a series of hate-filled messages to the FB and IG honchos he blames for banning him.

In the rants, which continued Friday after an initial wave on Thursday, Boosie IDs Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram's Adam Mosseri for shutting down his @americasmostwantedig handle -- and he drags their families into it too, while spewing some pretty foul things.

He went so far as to wish they died in a helicopter crash, instead of Kobe Bryant.

Boosie thinks body cam video in Georgia prompted IG's latest deletion of his account, and he's vowing to get revenge by starting a new Instagram account.

As of the time we posted, his 62 followers don't exactly represent the rallying cry he's hoping for, but maybe the weekend will bring in more support?

TMZ broke the story ... Boosie's been fuming since he was handcuffed earlier this week in Georgia during a traffic stop where he was the passenger.

While in cuffs, he ranted the cops were targeting him. The cops say they weren't rapper profiling, just following protocol.

How adorable is this ... to celebrate Pau Gasol's 42nd birthday, Vanessa Bryant shared video of the former NBA star trying to do ballet -- with her and Kobe's 5-year-daughter.

It's unclear when the footage was taken ... but Bryant posted the clip Wednesday morning on social media, showing the 7-foot-1 power forward, rocking a 'Kobe 24' T-shirt, trying his hardest to mimic Bianka's dance moves.

It's hilarious! You can even hear Gasol's wife Catherine McDonnell -- who captured the Kodak moment -- laugh at her hubby while giving him some ballet advice.

"Point your toes, pal," McDonnell said.

Despite not having the best technique, Gasol was having a blast with Bianka as they showcased all the moves ... Plié, twirls, and bows.

"Feliz Cumpleaños Hermano!" Bryant said in the caption.

"We love you uncle"

Bryant's oldest daughter, Natalia, also showed Uncle Pau some love on his bday -- sharing IG photos of them at Disneyland and a golf course.

"Happy birthday Uncle Paul," Natalia said, "Best golf buddy by 'par'."

Gasol, who was close friends with Kobe, spent a ton of time with the late legends' three daughters since the helicopter crash in January 2020, from celebrating the holidays together to shooting hoops at the Lakers facility.

Vanessa Bryant wants a jury to know that the sheriff's deputy accused of taking helicopter crash scene photos of Kobe Bryant was involved in another scandal involving excessive force where a handcuffed inmate's head was allegedly knelt on.

But, L.A. County is fighting back, insisting the other incident is irrelevant, and would seriously prejudice the jury.

About a year after Kobe, Gigi, and seven others tragically died in a helicopter crash, there was an incident inside a county jail involving a deputy named Doug Johnson ... who's accused of kneeling on the head of a handcuffed inmate for several minutes. The March 2021 incident received national news attention.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department allegedly attempted to prevent the details of the incident from going public ... believing it'd be a black eye for the department.

It's not the first scandal Doug Johnson's allegedly been involved in ... 'cause he's accused of being one of the deputies who took photographs of Kobe's remains at the crash site.

Photos were then allegedly shown to civilians -- without authorization -- in places like bars.

Now, lawyers for L.A. County are asking a judge to prevent Vanessa's attorney's from raising the issue during the defamation and negligence trial -- filed by the Bryant family in 2020 -- and set to begin in July.

The county, in documents filed on Friday, argues the jail incident is "entirely unrelated" to Vanessa's case. They argue bringing up such a hot button issue like excessive force could have a huge effect on the outcome of the trial.

Lawyers for the county reportedly asked Vanessa's legal team if they'd agree not to bring up the other incident ... but VB's attorney refused, according to the L.A. Times. That's when L.A. County filed the motion.

A judge is yet to make a decision on L.A. County's request.

As for the jail incident ... Johnson was captured on camera leading an inmate through a hallway, before the man, awaiting a murder charge, punched him in the face several times. Once Johnson got the 24-year-old inmate under control and handcuffed, he allegedly knelt on the inmates head for around 3 minutes.

Kobe Bryant received a touching tribute in the newest season of "Stranger Things" ... with one of the show's stars, Caleb McLaughlin, paying homage by wearing the NBA legend's iconic #8 during the show.

Netflix says 20-year-old Caleb -- who is a massive Kobe fan -- came up with the idea for his on-screen character, Lucas Sinclair, to wear the Mamba's digit on his basketball jersey in the huge show.

Despite the number being factually incorrect (H.S. hoopers could only wear numbers that ended in 0-5 in the 1980s), the show's producers loved the plan to honor Mamba and let him don it for filming.

Of course, 'ST's newest installment is Netflix's biggest debut since "Squid Game" took over the world in 2021.

In fact, season 4 has resulted in 286.79 million hours viewed globally ... making it the biggest premiere weekend for an English language TV show on the streaming platform, according to reports.

In addition to the success here, it also reached #1 on the charts in 83 countries.

It's become common to see entertainers or athletes showing love for the life and legacy of Kobe since his tragic death -- The Game got a tattoo of a sideways 8 and KB's signature about his eyebrow.

Lakers superstar Lebron James got a snake tattoo ... with his numbers and the message "Mamba 4 Life" underneath it.

One of Kobe's favorite young players, Jayson Tatum, is always outspoken about what his relationship with Kobe means to him ... even wearing a purple armband with Kobe's #24 on it during a must-win Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday.

JT also revealed that he texted Kobe's number a message right before the game, saying, "I got you today" ... and he delivered on his promise, scoring 26 huge points for the Celtics in a 100-96 win.

Vanessa Bryant is remembering her late husband, Kobe, on their wedding anniversary, posting a throwback photo of the two with a heartfelt message on what would've marked their 21st year as a married couple.

On Monday, Vanessa shared a photo on her Instagram of her and Kobe from their younger days, paying homage to the love the two shared over the years.

"I love you forever, baby. Happy Anniversary @KobeBryant #21" she captioned the pic.

The Bryant's were married on April 18, 2001 ... so this would've been 21 years Kobe and Vanessa celebrated their matrimony.

It's been over two years since Kobe (along with eight other people including his daughter) tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA ... and Vanessa has been doing everything in her power to keep Mamba's name and legacy going.

She recently announced the longstanding partnership between Kobe and Nike -- which temporarily ended last year -- was repaired, paving the way for the release of the "Mambacita Sweet Sixteen" shoe under the Swoosh brand.

The FAA tells TMZ ... "A Robinson R44 helicopter crashed in the Atlantic Ocean near Miami Beach, Fla., under unknown circumstances at approximately 1:20 PM local time today. Three persons were onboard. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates."

A helicopter went down in Miami -- crash landing in the ocean, no less ... and mere feet from swimmers.

The accident happened Saturday afternoon in South Beach, with Miami Beach PD releasing surveillance footage that shows the moment the chopper starts to descend from the sky.

As you can see, it comes into frame out of nowhere ... and then heads straight down into the water incredibly close to the shore. Indeed, it appears there were people out by where the aircraft ended up touching down. Fortunately, it doesn't look like any of them were hit.

People were expectedly shocked from the sight, and it looks like the authorities responded quickly. Jet skis on hand immediately rode out to the site, and eventually ... boats arrived on the scene as well to fish out the passengers and to clear the area.

So far, only two have been hospitalized ... they're said to have actually been in the helicopter, and they were transported in stable condition.

No word on any other injuries so far, or what may have caused this to happen in the first place. It's also unclear what sort of a helicopter this is ... commercial, private or otherwise.

The FAA has been looped in, and an investigation in underway.

The NBA just unveiled the newly-designed Kobe Bryant Trophy, which will be awarded to the All-Star Game MVP later this month, and Vanessa Bryant said she's in love with it.

The league revealed the piece Thursday morning ... announcing the new award has four levels, all designed to pay tribute to the Black Mamba.

The first level has 24 stars -- symbolic of the #24 Kobe donned in the second half of his career. The level measures in at 7 inches tall, which pays homage to Bryant's 2007 All-Star Game MVP honor.

The second level features 10 stars, which represent the number KB wore when he played for Team USA in the Olympics. Its 9-inch height is a hat tip to Bryant's 2009 ASG MVP award.

Of course, Kobe won 5 NBA championships in his career with the Los Angeles Lakers ... so the trophy has five stars on the third level.

On the fourth level, the league said "a single star represents Kobe’s NBA MVP Award in the 2007-08 season." The NBA also noted its 2-inch height is emblematic of his two Finals MVP awards.

The mastermind behind the design, Victor Solomon, said in a statement Thursday he worked "tirelessly" to make the piece ... and in an IG post, Vanessa said she resoundingly approved of it.

"I love everything this trophy represents," Vanessa wrote, "all of my husband’s hard work and dedication ~ Mamba Mentality 👑🐍💪🏽 Thank you @NBA & @victorsolomon."

Despite the construction of a temporary Kobe and Gigi Bryant statue this week at the site of their tragic helicopter crash ... TMZ Sports has learned a permanent sculpture will not be installed.

City of Calabasas officials told us this week they have "no plans for any sort of memorial at the crash site."

A spokesperson for the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority, which oversees the site of the tragic crash, added that there is to be "no permanent memorial on the site."

It does not mean one couldn't ultimately end up being placed there at some point down the road ... but the rep for the MRCA told us definitively there's nothing currently in the works for now or the future.

It's a bummer for those who wanted to see a statue erected ... especially after a 160-pound one was placed on the scene by sculptor Dan Medina on the anniversary of the crash on Wednesday.

Fans loved the mini-monument, which featured a depiction of Kobe and Gigi together, and Medina had told us he'd be willing to donate a life-sized version of it to the city for free.

A sculptor in Los Angeles has honored the anniversary of the deaths of Kobe and Gigi Bryant by placing a statue of the two at the site where they tragically passed away in 2020.

The artist, Dan Medina, tells TMZ Sports he created the 160-pound bronze figure and pulled it up to the scene in Calabasas via a wagon on Wednesday.

The sculpture is only a temporary piece -- Medina says he'll haul it back down at sunset -- but the artist tells us he's hoping the city will allow him to put up a larger, more life-sized version permanently at the site.

The artwork, while smaller than what Medina hopes it'll ultimately end up being, is incredible -- it's a depiction of Kobe in a Lakers uniform with his arm around Gigi, who's also in a basketball uniform holding a ball.

At the base of the statue, Medina added the names of all nine of the victims who tragically died in the helicopter crash on the Calabasas hillside on Jan. 26, 2020.

"Heroes come and go," words on the base of the statue read, "but legends are forever."

As we previously reported, Kobe, Gigi and the others were on their way to a girls basketball game, when the chopper suddenly wrecked in the terrain.

Tributes to the Bryants and the other victims of the crash have poured in on the anniversary Wednesday, with athletes and celebs from all over remembering them all on social media.

In fact, Kobe's old Lakers teammate, Lamar Odom, was gifted a diamond pendant on Wednesday to honor and remember the Bryants.

Lamar Odom will now have Kobe and Gigi Bryant with him everywhere he goes -- the ex-Lakers star was just gifted an incredible piece honoring the late NBA legend and his daughter on the second anniversary of their tragic helicopter accident.

TMZ Sports has learned ... LO -- who played alongside Kobe from 2004-2011 and remained close friends with the Hall of Famer in retirement -- received the special tribute to the Mamba and Mambacita from his manager, Tonita B.

The finished product is a diamond chain and pendant featuring Kobe kissing Gigi on the head ... which was based off a famous picture of the two sitting courtside at a Laker game in 2019.

We're told the chain -- designed by Scoobie Da Jeweler -- is made of 25 carats of VS diamonds ... and the whole finished product is worth around $17,000.

The back of the piece features a special quote from Kobe ... which reads, "Rest at the end, not in the middle."

We're told this all came to be when Tonita decided to do something unique for Lamar to commemorate their new Savvy Talent Management Group partnership ... and given his admiration for Bryant and his family, she chose a Mamba-related keepsake.

Odom has previously spoken about the impact Kobe left on his life after the fatal accident on Jan. 26, 2020 ... saying he not only helped him on the court, but was by his side during his darkest times.

Odom posted about his new gift on social media minutes ago ... saying, "To understand that Kobe meant the world to me and have this made as a constant reminder for me to keep going has me at loss for words. 💜"

The gym formerly known as Mamba Sports Academy is suing the company that owned the doomed helicopter in the Kobe Bryant crash ... claiming the copter co. should be forced to pay over $100K in costs related to the death of one of the passengers on board.

It's all spelled out in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, in which an insurance company and the gym now known as Sports Academy are suing Island Express.

In the docs, the Academy and the insurance co. claim that because Christina Mauser -- a girls basketball coach -- was employed by the gym at the time of her death in the crash ... they paid "death benefits and burial expenses" to her family that exceeded $127,000.

In the docs, the plaintiffs argue that Island Express should be on the hook for that bill ... claiming the crash and Mauser's subsequent death were the result of the helicopter company's negligence.

The plaintiffs are asking for a reimbursement of the amounts already paid plus any additional workers' comp payments that may come due in the future.

As we previously reported, Mauser and eight others -- including Kobe and Gigi Bryant -- died in the helicopter crash in January 2020.

After a lengthy investigation, NTSB officials concluded that the crash likely happened due to a multitude of reasons, including, "Island Express Helicopter Inc.'s inadequate review and oversight of its safety management processes."

Vanessa Bryant says her fear and anxiety over photos taken of the remains of Kobe and Gianna Bryant will last forever -- breaking down in heartbreaking detail how and why.

Kobe's widow filed a declaration in her ongoing lawsuit with L.A. County. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, she explains she actually asked Sheriff Alex Villanueva specifically on Jan. 26, the day of the crash, to secure the crash site and not allow anyone to take photographs of what was left behind ... this upon learning there were no survivors. In her docs, she says she told the Sheriff, "If you can't bring my husband and baby back, please make sure no one takes photographs of them."

A month later, she says she learned Sheriff's deputies and firefighters were sharing photos taken of Kobe and Gianna's remains ... precisely what she wanted to avoid. Vanessa says hearing this infuriated her, and also sent her into a constant cycle of distress they'd leak and be disseminated online.

Vanessa says she has reason to believe at least 20 different people obtained copies of the photos ... and despite the County's assurance that they'd all been secured/scrubbed ... she says she has strong doubts.

Vanessa says in the documents she's already seen one photo purportedly showing her late husband's remains, saying, "Since viewing the photo, I've been tormented with thoughts of who took it and whether it depicts my husband."

She adds, "It infuriates me that the people I trusted to protect the dignity of my husband and daughter abused their positions to obtain souvenirs of their deaths, as though possessing pictures of their remains somehow makes them special. I imagine Kobe watching over what occurred at that crash scene, and I am overcome by anger and emotion."

And there's more ... "I feel sick at the thought that deputies and firefighters have gawked at photos of my husband's and child's bodies without any reason. I also feel extreme sadness and anger knowing that photos of my husband's and daughter's bodies were laughed about while shown at a bar and awards banquet."

She points to the fact photos can be easily stored, transferred and preserved with the technology of today -- and is constantly fretting about the pics surfacing in some way, shape or form. She says she's triggered when she types Kobe's name in Google and a suggested search of "Kobe Bryant body" appears. She also says trolls threaten her by claiming to have the photos and promising to release them -- which she says also adds fuel to the fire.

Long story short, Vanessa says she's deeply troubled that one day her children might come across the photos while doing a family tree project for school ... adding, "For the rest of my life, one of two things will happen: either close-up photos of my husband’s and daughter’s bodies will go viral online, or I will continue to live in fear of that happening."

Vanessa Bryant will have to share some of her medical records with L.A. County -- the judge says the documents are fair game because she's raised the issue of her "emotional distress."

Kobe Bryant's widow had sought to block the County from access to her medical records, citing doctor-patient privilege as it relates to her visits with a psychotherapist. As you know, Vanessa is suing L.A. County over Sheriff's deputies sharing crash site photos that included remains of the victims.

She's said the knowledge the photos were out there was causing her "constant fear and anxiety" ... and she's had trouble sleeping and been depressed.

Defense attorneys for the County requested Vanessa's medical records because they wanted to determine whether her trauma was caused by the alleged photo leak, or the tragic helicopter crash itself.

Two of the families whose loved ones perished in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash just agreed to settlements with L.A. County over the alleged sharing of crash site photos of remains -- but Vanessa Bryant is still at war.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved $2.5 million to be split between the families of Christine Mauser and Keri, John and Alyssa Altobelli ... according to docs. Mauser's husband, Matthew, gets $1.25 mil, and the Altobelli's 2 surviving children get the same.

According to the L.A. Times, which first reported the settlement, counsel for the county suggested settling with the families would be the best route as they continue to deal with Vanessa's lawsuit, and one from Chris Chester ... whose wife and child died in the crash.

The outlet says the lawsuits have already cost L.A. County an estimated $1.29 million in legal fees.

Meanwhile, Vanessa and Chris' suits are still playing out in court ... and could be headed for trial in the near future. Speaking of them, a judge denied L.A. County's motion seeking psychiatric evaluations of Vanessa and Chris, ruling it came too late in the case.

The county argued that the psychiatric evaluations would help determine if their emotional distress was actually related to crash photos that she and the public have never seen.

Dozens of athletes and celebs have gotten Kobe Bryant tattoos in the wake of the NBA legend's passing, but Gerald Green's new Mamba ink might just top them all ...

The former NBA player -- who just announced his retirement last week -- revealed he had a pic of him defending Bryant tatted on his right arm recently.

The artwork is very cool -- it's a tat based on a photo of him trying to block Bryant's shot at the rim during a game when Green played for the Suns.

The piece is a big one ... it stretches from the top of Green's bicep almost all the way down to his inner elbow -- and it's all in black and white coloring.

Of course, Green made the move to honor Bryant -- someone he's never shied away from publicly praising.

You'll recall, Green wore a #8 Bryant jersey to a game in the days following the ex-hooper's tragic death ... saying at the time that Kobe had inspired him since he was a child.

"I don't think anybody could ever achieve the things that he did," the 35-year-old said, adding, "There will never be another number 8 or 24. Never."