Vanessa Bryant has called on a judge to dismiss the lawsuit that her mother, 68-year-old Sofia Laine, is filing against Kobe Bryant’s estate. Sofia is attempting to claim lifetime support out of Kobe’s estate, noting that Kobe promised to financially take care of her for the rest of her life. According to new court documents that Vanessa has obtained, however, Sofia seems to have never acknowledged this “promise” until after Kobe’s death.
Vanessa cites court documents from 2004 and 2008, when Sofia was having a legal altercation with her now ex-husband. Her ex claimed that he should not need to pay spousal support because Sofia was being supported by Kobe and Vanessa, which she vehemently denied, saying that they had no obligation to support her and whatever they gave her came purely from the goodness of their hearts.
Sofia’s ex-husband also attempted to argue, using a tabloid story, that Vanessa had bought a $1 million home for her mother, so he didn’t need to pay her. Sofia called the tabloid story “absolutely false” and said, “I would never permit Vanessa to do such a thing. I have not and do not (nor should I be required to) rely on Vanessa for my support.”
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In the lawsuit, Sofia argued that Kobe and Vanessa violated California labor laws when she was babysitting her grandkids, as they allegedly did not give her meal breaks, rest periods, and paid her minimum wage. According to Vanessa, “[Sofia] was never an ’employee’ … [she] is a grandmother who, at times, helped her daughter and son-in-law by spending time with her grandchildren.”
A judge has not yet ruled.
[Via]