Vanessa Bryant Confident She Can Tweak Kobe Bryant's Trust Fund -- Here's Why
Two months after Kobe Bryant's tragic death, his widow Vanessa Bryant is now seeking to tweak the NBA legend's trust fund.
Based on the documents obtained by TMZ, the 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers Star has set up a trust fund to secure the future of his wife and kids back in 2003. The record shows that it was amended several times every time there is a new addition to the Bryant family. The most recent amendment was done in 2017 when Vanessa and Kobe's third daughter Bianka was born.
However, their youngest offspring Capri was born nine months ago, and it seems that the basketball icon was not in a rush to revise his trust fund documents as he is still young and healthy when Capri was born.
Unfortunately, the tragic helicopter crash happened on January 26 and took the life of Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gigi, leaving the baby girl Capri's future hanging. That is why Kobe's 37-year-old widow is now doing the best that she can to amend the documents and include Capri to the family trust.
In the papers, Vanessa explained that Kobe clearly wanted to provide for the future of her children.
The trust agreement also states that the 17-year-old Natalia and 3-year-old Bianka can draw from the principal and income in the trust during Vanessa's lifetime, and they get the remainder upon her death.
According to Arminé Bazikyan of the Bazikyan Law Group, Kobe's death makes it difficult to tweak the trust, but it is still possible.
"There is a strong chance the judge will grant the petition Vanessa has filed," the legal expert told HollywoodLife.
The estate planning certified specialist explained that technically, as an "omitted child," Capri has all the right to receive a share from her father's estate that would have been given to her before her father died.
"Meaning had Kobe died without a trust or will in place. This section of the law (Probate Code 21620) is written exactly for this scenario in mind," Arminé said.
"Parent does a trust and will. New child is born. Parent dies without having a chance to update his documents to include child," she added.
The lawyer explained that Vanessa's only role is to prove Kobe's intent by showing documents that the Bryant patriarch continuously amends the trust every time they will have a new child.
"Plus, the court will take into consideration her declarations of conversations they may have had privately," Arminé added.
With that said, there is a higher chance that the judge will grant Vanessa's request, and Baby Capri's future is all good, just like what her late father would do so.
More Legal Battles For Vanessa
While this trust fund issues will be an easy win for Vanessa, the mother-of-four would still have to gear up with the earlier legal battle that she launched against the flying company that manages the helicopter the took the life of her husband and daughter.
In February, Vanessa filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Fillmore-based Island Express Holding Corporation and Island Express Helicopters. It aims to make the companies liable for the tragic crash that killed Kobe, Gigi, and seven others.
