Vanessa Bryant ‘Misses’ Daughter Gianna in New Tribute During Jersey Retirement: ‘Mommy Loves You to the Moon’

A piece of her heart. Vanessa Bryant shared an emotional new message honoring her late daughter, Gianna “Gigi” Maria-Onore Bryant, while attending a school memorial in honor of the 13-year-old. Vanessa opened up about how incredibly difficult it has been to cope with the loss of her second-born and her beloved husband, Kobe Bryant.

“My Gianna. God I miss you,” the 37-year-old wrote alongside a photo from the jersey retirement ceremony held for the teen. “I’ve been so lucky to have woken up to see your gorgeous face and amazing smile for 13 years. Wish it would’ve been until my last breath. Mommy loves you to the moon and back. Infinity plus 1. #2 #Mambacita #GigiBryant.”

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In the snap, it shows a floral arrangement with Gianna’s name and a big No. 2 in the auditorium, along with several red heart balloons. “We will always remember her will to make things better and strive for excellence,” one faculty member said while taking the podium.

Student council representatives also spoke about the fond memories they had of Gianna, revealing “she had big dreams and visions of bringing the school together.” They said she always “showed up with a smile and motivated us to do more.”

“My Gigi. I love you,” Vanessa wrote in another post. “I miss you. You’ve taught us all that no act of kindness is ever too small. Mommy is still and will ALWAYS be so proud of you mamacita.”

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Earlier this afternoon, Vanessa also shared a heart-wrenching statement about the bond she shared with the love of her life. “#MyBestFriend #TheBestDaddy Miss you so much,” the mother of four captioned a photo of the basketball legend. “#Handsome #Sweet #Funny #Silly #LovingHusband. Miss you saying, ‘Bonjourno Principessa/Reina,'” she wrote.

People all over the world have been grieving the deaths of the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and his daughter Gianna. They were two of nine people who tragically lost their lives when their private helicopter crash-landed in Calabasas on January 26.

Just one week ago, Vanessa broke her silence about the news. “We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately,” she wrote at the time. “There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now. I take comfort in knowing that Kobe and Gigi both knew that they were so deeply loved.”

Looking ahead, the former MVP’s longtime friend LeBron James will be wearing a No. 2 jersey at the All-Star Game to honor Gianna. The NBA has announced one team will wear Gianna’s jersey number, while the other will wear Kobe’s number.