What is Vanessa Bryant's ethnicity? Late Kobe Bryant's wife's background and other details explored 

"Mamba Day" is a special day dedicated to honoring Kobe Bryant's legacy, and it often includes the release of special edition Nike Kobe shoes. In this case, there was a release of Mambacita edition Nike Kobe shoes. The release comes after Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa agreed to a new deal to continue the partnership with Nike.

Vanessa Bryant, the wife of the late Kobe Bryant, was born in Los Angeles, California. She first met Kobe when she was 17 years old, while he was 21.

Vanessa has a diverse ethnic background, including Mexican, Irish, German, and Mexican heritage. Her birth name was Vanessa Urbieta Cornejo, and her previous surname was Laine, which she adopted from her step-father. While she was never formally adopted, she chose to take his last name.

Her parents separated when she was very young. Her biological father moved to Mexico after the divorce. Her family lived in Garden Grove, California, and she lived in Huntington Beach, California, with her step-grandfather Robert Laine. She went to Marina High School.

How did Vanessa and Kobe Bryant meet?

Vanessa attended a concert in the LA area while she was in high school. While at the show, she was approached and offered a modeling and extra role in music videos. She then appeared in videos for rappers such as Snoop Dogg.

Vanessa met Kobe on a music video shoot for a track Bryant was releasing. Their first interactions were even captured on camera. The two’s romance sparked from there and led to a high-profile relationship.

Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant got engaged after six months of dating and tied the knot on April 18, 2001. They welcomed their first child, Natalia, in 2003 and went on to have four children together. Tragically, their daughter Gianna also lost her life in the helicopter crash in 2020, and she was just 13 years old at the time.

They have two other daughters. Bianka was born in 2016 and Capri was born in 2019.

Vanessa filed for divorce from Bryant in 2011. She cited irreconcilable differences. The two later called off the divorce after 13 months and maintained their marriage until Bryant’s death in 2020.

What does Vanessa Bryant do now?

Vanessa Bryant is a philanthropist and businesswoman who runs the Mambacita Foundation. It is designed to support children who are in need to gain access to sports.

She runs the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation, which was founded in 2007. The foundation's mission is to provide scholarships to minority children, among other charitable activities.

She is also a successful business woman. She sits on the board for the sports drink company Body Armor and also heads Granity Studios which is a multimedia and film production company founded by her late husband.