Natalia is doing everything she can to make sure Capri and Bianka know about their dad and big sister.
Natalia Bryant is coming into her own. The 18-year-old model and USC freshman is the oldest daughter of Vanessa Bryant and the late Kobe Bryant.
The Bryant family's pain played out very publicly as they lost Kobe and second-born Gianna, as well as seven others, in a helicopter crash in January 2020. Natalia lost her little sister and best friend as well as her father that day. While the pain might be too much for some, Natalia has pushed forward for her mom and her younger sisters, 4-year-old Bianka and 2-year-old Capri.
Natalia is on the cover of Teen Vogue's September issue. It's her first profile ever, and the self-assured young woman took the opportunity to introduce herself and her voice to the world.
Throughout the interview, Natalia touches on the weird duality of growing up in the public eye yet people not knowing a lot about who she is as a person. She also said that despite the privileges she had from being Kobe Bryant's daughter, her parents did everything they could to keep her grounded.
"Growing up, my parents made it as normal as possible," she told Teen Vogue.
"Thank God they did. It's not, Oh she's Natalia Bryant, she's Kobe Bryant's daughter," she continued.
"A lot of times they saw me as 'she's just Nani.'"
In the interview, Natalia also looks back at memories with her dad. "I love talking about my dad," she shares.
"It's bittersweet, but I enjoy talking about him more than it's sad for me."
Natalia is the product of a beautiful love story between Kobe and Vanessa, who was swept off her feet by the third-year NBA player when she was just a high school senior herself. For Natalia, family matters more than dating right now.
"We've always been very busy ... I've always been close to my family. I don't want to remember high school as dating some guy that I'm most likely going to be hating next [year]," she said.
As for how her family is doing now, almost two years after the loss, Natalia's answer is both realistic and optimistic.
"You do the best that you can," she said.
"[For] my little sisters [we're] trying to keep that memory for them. And also just trying to remember to live out every day the way they would."
Natalia Bryant is coming into her own. The 18-year-old model and USC freshman is the oldest daughter of Vanessa Bryant and the late Kobe Bryant.
The Bryant family's pain played out very publicly as they lost Kobe and second-born Gianna, as well as seven others, in a helicopter crash in January 2020. Natalia lost her little sister and best friend as well as her father that day. While the pain might be too much for some, Natalia has pushed forward for her mom and her younger sisters, 4-year-old Bianka and 2-year-old Capri.
Natalia is on the cover of Teen Vogue's September issue. It's her first profile ever, and the self-assured young woman took the opportunity to introduce herself and her voice to the world.
"Growing up, my parents made it as normal as possible," she told Teen Vogue.
"Thank God they did. It's not, Oh she's Natalia Bryant, she's Kobe Bryant's daughter," she continued.
"A lot of times they saw me as 'she's just Nani.'"
In the interview, Natalia also looks back at memories with her dad. "I love talking about my dad," she shares.
"It's bittersweet, but I enjoy talking about him more than it's sad for me."
Natalia is the product of a beautiful love story between Kobe and Vanessa, who was swept off her feet by the third-year NBA player when she was just a high school senior herself. For Natalia, family matters more than dating right now.
"We've always been very busy ... I've always been close to my family. I don't want to remember high school as dating some guy that I'm most likely going to be hating next [year]," she said.
As for how her family is doing now, almost two years after the loss, Natalia's answer is both realistic and optimistic.
"You do the best that you can," she said.
"[For] my little sisters [we're] trying to keep that memory for them. And also just trying to remember to live out every day the way they would."
