Jennifer Lopez says Kobe Bryant’s death ‘will affect us forever’

Singer says she has been praying for Bryant’s wife, Vanessa

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Jennifer Lopez has expressed her sorrow over the death of Kobe Bryant, saying that his passing “will affect us forever”.

On Thursday, Lopez attended a Super Bowl press conference in Miami, Florida alongside fellow singer Shakira.

The pair are due to perform together as part of the Super Bowl Halftime Show, which is scheduled to take place on Sunday.

During the press conference, Lopez and Shakira spoke about how Bryant will be honoured during their performance, with the Hustlers star saying the spectacle will include a “heartfelt” moment for the late NBA star.

The singer said that she was informed of Bryant’s death by her fiancé, former professional baseball player Alex Rodriguez, who had “tears in his eyes” when he relayed the news.

“He’s like, ‘You’re not going to believe what happened’,” Lopez said as she recalled the moment Rodriguez told her that Bryant had died.

“He was devastated. He knew Kobe really well. I knew Kobe and Vanessa more in passing. He had come to my last show in Vegas – the both of them – as a date night and we had a beautiful night that night.”

Lopez expressed concern for Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, stating: “I think of how awful that must be for her right now.”

The Maid in Manhattan singer said she had been praying for Vanessa, hoping that “God guides her through every moment because she has three more babies to take care of”, in addition to “wishing that the nightmare was over, but it’s not going to be”.

“That’s life and we have to carry on,” Lopez said. “But at the same time, it affects us and it will affect us forever.”

Shakira also spoke about Bryant at the press conference, saying: “I think we will all be remembering Kobe on Sunday. We’ll be celebrating life, and celebrating diversity in this country.”

On Sunday, it was reported that 41-year-old Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles, California. 

Bryant’s wife Vanessa and three other daughters, Natalia, Bianca and Capri, were not on board the aircraft.

Vanessa released a heartfelt statement on Instagram, in which she said her family were “absolutely devastated” by their losses.