Vanessa Bryant to show therapy history in lawsuit for Kobe accident photos

By Phil Helsel and Diana Dasrath -

Vanessa Bryant must release records of her therapy history as part of the lawsuit over photos from the scene of the helicopter crash in which her husband, NBA legend Kobe Bryant, and their daughter were killed, a judge ruled Monday. .

She is suing Los Angeles County and others over the photos, which she says caused her severe emotional distress and exacerbated her trauma after the January 26, 2020 accident, in which all nine people on board were killed.

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The lawsuit alleges that photos of the victims' bodies were passed from hand to hand, even shown to a waiter.

On Monday, a federal judge granted a county motion, ruling that Bryant must release therapy records, according to online court documents.

Vanessa Bryant arrives at the Baby2Baby Gala at the Pacific Design Center on Saturday, November 13, 2021, in West Hollywood, Calif. Jordan Strauss / Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP

Los Angeles County outside attorney Skip Miller said earlier this month that request for records was standard in these cases claiming damages for emotional distress.

An attorney for Bryant did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.

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Los Angeles County had requested that Bryant undergo a psychiatric evaluation as part of the lawsuit, but the judge denied it.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven other people were killed in the helicopter crash in Calabasas, in northwest Los Angeles County.

The pilot, who was among those killed, likely suffered "spatial disorientation," federal investigators concluded.