Kobe Bryant's family shared a special experience with Taylor Swift as the singer took her Eras Tour to the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The late NBA star's wife Vanessa Bryant shared photos to her Instagram Stories, showing her 15.2 million followers how her 6-year-old daughter managed to grab a moment with Swift during the concert. The exchange was seen by thousands at the concert, who cheered as Swift gifted Bianka Bryant with a "22" hat while performing the song of the same name.
In the picture shared to her grid and Stories, Swift can be seen kneeling over the side of the stage to embrace Bianka who's standing on steps leading to the stage.
![Vanessa Bryant, Taylor Swift, Kobe Bryant](https://d.newsweek.com/en/full/2265614/vanessa-bryant-taylor-swift-kobe-bryant.png?w=1200&f=b7eba1f47e19fc3b12d2ef5afdde48cc)
"We love you @taylorswift" Vanessa Bryant wrote late on Thursday. The Instagram post can be seen here.
Footage of Swift and Bianka's hug at the concert was shared across social media with various Twitter accounts showing the moment displayed up on the big screen at the SoFi Stadium. The crowd can be heard cheering as Swift sees and runs up to Kobe Bryant's daughter. Swift then hands Bianka the hat that she was wearing before moving away to continue to perform her song.
"The 22 hat moment was so cute," wrote @angelicakyria13 who shared footage shot at the performance. "They got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Taylor." When someone told the Twitter user that it was Kobe Bryant's daughter, she said she was "crying" with the happy tearful emoji.
THE 22 HAT MOMENT WAS SO CUTE!!! They got a hug and a kiss on the cheek from Taylor 🥹🥹🥹 #LATSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/11suVX0LAE
— Angelica (Taylor’s Version) (@angelicakyria13) August 4, 2023
Earlier in the day, Vanessa Bryant showed her followers a picture of a special jean jacket that featured a picture of the late NBA star and Swift together with the word "SWIFTIE," which refers to Taylor's fans. The picture was taken by photographer Christopher Polk, at the Staples Center on August 21, 2015, during Swift's 1989 world tour.
She also showed her followers that she was wearing a series of bracelets given to her by her daughter Natalia, 20. The bracelets listed their family's names, with Kobe and Gigi's names standing out in gold letters. The father and daughter died in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020, in Calabasas, California. Gigi, full name Gianna Maria-Onore, was 13 years old and Kobe was 41. Bryant's fourth daughter, Capri, was born in June 2019.
Kobe Bryant five won the NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he spent all of his 20-year playing career. He was an 18-time NBA All-Star, two-time finals MVP, one-time season MVP, and he also picked up two Olympic gold medals for the U.S. His jersey numbers 8 and 24 have been retired by the Lakers.
Vanessa Bryant marked Kobe's birthday in 2022 with a series of Instagram posts. He would have turned 45 on August 23.
Newsweek has reached out to Vanessa Bryant for comment.
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more