Mural painted by artist Louie Sloe Palsino of Kobe and Gianna Bryant

Adam Dergazarian, bottom center, pays his respects for Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, in front of a mural painted by artist Louie Sloe Palsino in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

On January 26, 2020, Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were aboard a helicopter when it crashed into the side of a mountain in Calabasas, California. Everyone was killed on impact.  Kobe was a beloved basketball player, one of the greatest of all time. Perhaps that’s why immediately when the LA County Sheriff’s Department and LA County Fire Department heard of the crash, deputies and fire captains climbed up the 1300 ft mountain to “investigate” immediately, even those who weren’t on shift that day.

The photos those individuals took and subsequently circulated were the basis of the lawsuit. It was not a wrongful death suit, but rather a civil rights, invasion of privacy suit.

On March 2, 2020, LA County Sheriff announced that at least eight deputies took or shared graphic photos of the crash scene, including mangled body parts burned. The Sheriff’s department would later admit that there was no investigatory reason for deputies to be taking photos of the victims’ remains. Of note:

  • Several deputies shared the photos during a game of Call of Duty;

  • A deputy shared photos with his bartender, who then told a nearby table what he just saw (this then became the subject of a complaint to the department)

  • A Firefighter shared photos of Kobe’s remains during the Golden Mike awards in February 2020 (which prompted another complaint to the department)

In closing, the Plaintiffs argued that the county’s conduct was outrageous and that the county had a culture of keeping death books with photos of dead celebrities for their own kicks. The county employees often presented conflicting testimony, including one testifying that he was ordered by someone to take photos even though that individual testified the day prior that he did not order any photos taken.

Plaintiffs asked for $75 million in damages. Vanessa Bryant had never seen these photos, and she testified that she lives in fear every day of them popping up. The jury awarded $30 million. Here’s where you can read more about the case.

Tune into our latest podcast as Ruby Aliment and I discuss whether the conduct of the LA Fire Department was outrageous. Did you know that you have a civil rights claim if anyone deprives you of the right to control death images of your family? (If you want to see the mural Ruby mentions at the end, dm us).