Why Kobe Bryant’s Widow Vanessa Bryant Wants to Amend His Trust

Nearly two months after Kobe Bryant's untimely death, his wife Vanessa has filed court papers regarding his trust.

TMZ reports Vanessa is asking a judge to modify his trust to include their youngest daughter, Capri, 9 months.

Capri was born after Kobe last updated his trust in 2017 to include their daughter Bianka. The court papers stated, “The proposed modification furthers and supports the primary purpose of the trust. The First Partial Amendment makes clear Kobe's intent to provide for 'any children of (his) marriage to Vanessa' in his trust. However, because it was drafted after the birth of Bianka, but before the birth of Capri... the Trust is silent with respect to Capri and her descendants."

Kobe created the trust in 2003, the same year they welcomed oldest daughter Natalia. Since then, it appears to have been amended several times to include their other children. The document stated, “The material purpose of the Trust is to provide a fund for Kobe's wife and daughters of Kobe and Vanessa for their support, care, and maintenance and, at the same time, to provide protection for the Trust's assets so that the assets will be available for the benefit of Kobe and Vanessa's daughters, equally, upon Vanessa's death.”

The issue with not amending the trust is that “the Bryant Trusts will be divided into two shares, not three” after Vanessa's death.

The document emphasized, “This was not Kobe's intent. Nor does it accomplish the primary and material purpose of the Trust - to provide for Vanessa and all his children with Vanessa after his death."

Kobe's best friend Rob Pelinka and Vanessa are the trust's co-trustees.

In late January, Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna perished in a helicopter crash with seven others on the way to a basketball game.

A month later, Vanessa poured her heart out onstage while remembering Kobe and Gianna at their public memorial. Struggling to hold back tears, Vanessa mentioned all the milestones they would miss, saying, “We will not see Gigi go to high school... we didn't get a chance to teach her how to drive a car… I won't be able to tell her how gorgeous she looks on her wedding day… I can't imagine life without her.”

As for her husband of nearly 19 years, Vanessa said, “He was my sweet husband and the father of my beautiful children... He was my everything… I was his first girlfriend, his first love… his confidant, his protector... We balanced each other... He was truly the romantic one in our relationship… he planned anniversary trips, he even handmade my gifts.”

Kobe and Vanessa planned to renew their vows and hoped to “be the fun grandparents” someday.

Vanessa said Kobe also hoped daughter Natalia would take over his business, and that their younger girls, Bianka and Capri, would pursue basketball so he could spend as much time with them as he did with Gigi. She told the crowd, “I want my girls to remember what kind of man he was.”