Vanessa Bryant Opens Up About Life Without Kobe & Gianna

Nearly 14 months after the tragic death of her husband Kobe Bryant and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna, Vanessa Bryant has opened up about trying to "[find] the light in darkness."

"I can't say that I'm strong every day," she told People in the cover story for this week's "Women Changing the World" issue. "I can't say that there aren't days when I feel like I can't survive to the next."

"This pain is unimaginable [but] you just have to get up and push forward," Vanessa shared. "Lying in bed crying isn't going to change the fact that my family will never be the same again. But getting out of bed and pushing forward is going to make the day better for my girls and for me. So that's what I do."

As noted by People, Vanessa has been quietly working to rebuild a life for herself and her family — Natalia, 18, Bianka, 4, and 20-month-old Capri — since Kobe and Gianna's January 2020 helicopter crash, taking charge of creative projects left unfinished at Kobe's multi-media company, Granity Studios, and relaunching her late husband's charitable non-profit as Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.

"I guess the best way to describe it is that Kobe and Gigi motivate me to keep going," she explained. "They inspire me to try harder and be better every day. Their love is unconditional and they motivate me in so many different ways."

Vanessa also noted that it's her love for her children that push her to "[find] the light in darkness."

"My girls help me smile through the pain," she said. "They give me strength [..] I want to make Kobe, Gigi, Natalia, Bianka and Capri proud."

Photo: Getty Images