Kobe Bryant Once Sued His Parents and Was Estranged From Them for Years — What Happened?

On Jan. 26, 2020, the world froze when news broke that NBA legend Kobe Bryant tragically died at the age of 41 . The Lakers phenom was killed in a helicopter crash alongside his daughter, Gianna "Gigi" Bryant , her teammates, and their families.

Many are reminded of Kobe's untimely passing after his father, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant 's death. Joe died of a stroke on July 16, 2024, spiritually reuniting him with his only son.

Before Kobe and Joe's death, the father and son had a tumultuous relationship that included Kobe's mom, Pamela Bryant (nee Cox) . The fallout resulted in Kobe not speaking to them for years, ultimately cutting their time together even shorter.

Here's what led to Kobe's unfortunate distance from his parents.

What happened between Kobe Bryant and his parents?

Kobe shared how much his dad's stellar NBA career inspired him to have his own . However, when he rose to fame in the '90s, all eyes were on him and his family — good or bad. In 2003, Kobe shared with The Orlando Sentinel that he and his parents were on shaky terms and had not spoken in two years. The drama reportedly began when he married his wife of almost 20 years, Vanessa Bryant , in 2001.

Kobe told the Sentinel that his dad opted not to attend the wedding, though he wasn't surprised, stating he "knew he wouldn’t come down and see me. He never does.” It was later reported that Joe didn't attend Kobe's wedding because he was upset he married a Latina woman and not someone who is Black, something Joe denied.

Kobe and his parents didn't speak again until the birth of his and Vanessa's first child, Natalia . But in 2013, they were on the outs again when the Black Mamba sued Joe and Pam for attempting to sell memorabilia with him on it.

Kobe eventually won the case and received an apology for any "misunderstanding and unintended pain" his parents caused. While it's unclear how close they were when Kobe died, both Joe and Pam attended his January 2020 funeral .