The lawyer for the NBA superstar’s wife said she was subjected to undue mental hardship after learning that county employees took smartphone photos of human remains as “souvenirs.”

A federal jury awarded $16 million in damages to the widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant for leaking images of the site of the helicopter accident that killed her husband and one of their kids in 2020, which first responders took and shared with members of the public.

The unanimous jury agreed with Vanessa Bryant and her counsel that deputies and firemen who photographed and shared images of Kobe Bryant and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, breached her privacy and caused her mental distress.

The federal jury pondered for 412 hours before reaching its decision. Bryant sobbed silently when it was read to him.

Soon after the judgment, she shared a photo of herself with her husband and their daughter on social media, writing, “All for you! I love you! JUSTICE for Kobe and Gigi! “

Bryant and co-plaintiff Chris Chester filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles County for an undisclosed million of dollars in connection with the pictures, which contained horrific images of human remains.

Chester’s wife, Sarah, and their 13-year-old daughter, Payton, were among the nine people murdered when their helicopter crashed north of Los Angeles.

Chester was granted $15 million in damages by the jury.

“While we disagree with the jury’s findings as to the County’s liability, we believe the monetary award shows that jurors didn’t believe the evidence supported the plaintiffs’ request of $75 million for emotional distress,” Los Angeles County’s principal outside counsel in the lawsuit is Mira Hashmall, a partner with the Miller Barondess law firm.

Bryant and Chester’s attorneys contended that both plaintiffs experienced undue mental hardship after learning that county employees took smartphone photos of human remains as “souvenirs” and shared them with colleagues and members of the public.

On what would have been Kobe Bryant’s 44th birthday, closing arguments began on Tuesday.

Bryant entered the court on Wednesday wearing all white and clutching the hands of her eldest daughter, Natalia, and close family friend and Olympic gold winner Sydney Leroux, Gianna’s favorite soccer player. She was accompanied by Rob Pelinka, General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, and his wife.