Vanessa Bryant Shares Touching Letter From Gianna's Best Friend

On the one-year anniversary of Kobe and Gianna Bryant's fatal helicopter crash, Vanessa Bryant shared a heartfelt letter written by one of Gianna's best friends.

“Today I received this sweet letter from one of Gianna’s best friends, Aubrey," Bryant wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday (January 26.) "I love you Aubz (as my Gigi would call you). Thank you so much for beautifully sharing some of your memories of my Gigi with me and allowing me to share them here on my ig.”

“I miss my baby girl and Kob-Kob so much, too. I will never understand why/how this tragedy could’ve happened to such beautiful, kind and amazing human beings. It still doesn’t seem real," Bryant added. "Kob, we did it right. Gigi, you still make mommy proud. I love you!”

In the letter, Gianna’s friend Aubrey Callaghan reminisced on their days playing basketball, participating in their school musical, and working on student council.

"[Gianna's] smile and attitude push me to be better," Callaghan shared. "You have probably heard this, but if I ever become a mom, I hope my daughter turns out exactly as yours did."

"Her fights for equality in sports made the world reconsider there [sic] opinions, she along with Mr. Bryant, set the wheels in motion," she continued. "But on a lower level, on behalf of every person who came across her, I can say that she changed our lives. Her simple actions made all of us a better person, and I believe that the results of this will never stop appearing."

"I am so, so blessed I got to have time with your angel of a daughter, and thank you for giving me that chance," she added, "I love you and am thinking of you as we remember and honor her life."

Kobe, Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Southern California on January 26, 2020, while on the way to a basketball tournament. At the time, Kobe was 41, and Gianna was 13.