Vanessa Bryant Makes First Public Comments on Kobe's and Gianna's deaths: 'There aren’t enough words to describe our pain right now'

Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were killed Sunday in a helicopter crash along with seven other people

Three days after Vanessa Bryant lost her husband, Kobe, and 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas on Sunday, Vanessa made her first public comments. 

She posted a photo of her and Bryant and their four daughters  on Instagram, along with the statement below. 

"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. We are completely devastated by the sudden loss of my adoring husband, Kobe — the amazing father of our children; and my beautiful, sweet Gianna — a loving, thoughtful, and wonderful daughter, and amazing sister to Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. We are also devastated for the families who lost their loved ones on Sunday, and we share in their grief intimately.

"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. We were so incredibly blessed to have them in our lives. I wish they were here with us forever. They were our beautiful blessings taken from us too soon.

"I’m not sure what our lives hold beyond today, and it’s impossible to imagine life without them. But we wake up each day, trying to keep pushing because Kobe, and our baby girl, Gigi, are shining on us to light the way. Our love for them is endless — and that’s to say, immeasurable. I just wish I could hug them, kiss them and bless them. Have them here with us, forever.

"Thank you for sharing your joy, your grief and your support with us. We ask that you grant us the respect and privacy we will need to navigate this new reality.

"To honor our Team Mamba family, the Mamba Sports Foundation has set up the MambaOnThree Fund to help support the other families affected by this tragedy. To donate, please go to MambaOnThree.org.
To further Kobe and Gianna’s legacy in youth sports, please visit MambaSportsFoundation.org.

"Thank you so much for lifting us up in your prayers, and for loving Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka, Capri and me. #Mamba #Mambacita #GirlsDad #DaddysGirls #Family ❤️"

Bryant and Gianna died while they were headed to the Mamba Sports Academy, where Bryant was going to coach Gianna in a game. Seven other people were killed in the crash. 

Vanessa changed her Instagram profile photo to a picture of Gianna and Bryant hugging at the 2016 NBA All-Star game. 

Vanessa and Bryant met in 1999 when she was 17 and he was 20. They married in 2001. 

Athletes, celebrities and fans around the world have mourned the deaths of the victims. 

Bryant was a five-time NBA champion with the Lakers, an Oscar winner and a beloved father to Gianna, Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and seven-month-old Capri.