Vanessa Bryant, the widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, will not need to take a psychiatric exam for her lawsuit over leaked graphic photos of her late husband, a federal judge ruled Monday.
Last month, Los Angeles County asked a judge to force Vanessa Bryant and others to take a psychiatric evaluation before they head to trial in the ongoing lawsuit between Bryant and the county.
- But U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick said Monday the motion to conduct an exam was untimely, per NPR.
Vanessa Bryant and others are suing Los Angeles County over leaked graphic images from the 2020 helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna Bryant, and seven others.
- Multiple reports found Los Angeles County officers allegedly leaked graphic photos from the crash. These photos had been snapped by police officials at the crime scene.
- In September 2020, Vanessa Bryant and families with ties to those involved in the crash sued Los Angeles County, saying the graphic photo leak was a violation of civil rights and caused emotional distress, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
Attorneys for the county said Bryant had never seen the photos since they weren’t shared with the public. They hoped a psychiatric exam would show if they had emotional distress, according to NPR.