Kobe and Vanessa have settled their divorce privately, so no one really knows exactly how much she walked away with.
What we do know is how much Vanessa could have walked away with.
The apparent lack of a prenuptial agreement — coupled with 10 years of marriage — will likely significantly increase the size of Vanessa Bryant’s divorce settlement with Kobe Bryant, legal experts said.
Some estimates put Kobe Bryant’s net worth at $150 million. Legal experts said Vanessa Bryant will probably receive at least $75 million in addition to ongoing spousal and child support.
Last season, as the NBA’s highest-paid player, Kobe Bryant earned $24.8 million in salary, and his contract extension signed last year is worth $83.5 million. Forbes magazine estimates that with endorsement deals, Bryant last year earned $53 million before taxes and agent fees. In recent years, he has added Turkish Airlines and Mercedes-Benz to his portfolio of endorsements.
The fact the marriage lasted 10 years gives Vanessa Bryant several advantages under California divorce law. After passing the 10-year mark, attorney Dmitry Gorin said, a marriage is defined as a lengthy one, which means the spouse is allowed to maintain her standard of living after the split.
Gorin said Vanessa Bryant may be entitled to permanent spousal support and may even be part of Kobe Bryant’s retirement plans. She’ll probably get “more than enough for many lifetimes,” Gorin said.
Not bad work if you can get it.
Many will call Vanessa a gold digger or ask a legitimate question of what has she done to deserve that type of payoff, but I won’t be one of them.
Kobe Bryant knew what he was getting into and he had to know in the back of his mind when Vanessa stood by him during his rape trial that this day would come.
No one forces you to get married (even though Kobe and Vanessa did get married under some unusual circumstances) and furthermore no one forces you to stay married.
Kobe had to know or should have know that 10th year was coming up, so if he wanted to bounce before he should have. He has no legal recourse and unfortunately the law is what it is, so she rightfully gets what she is owed.
I would say this should be a lesson to athletes or rich guys in general, but we have seen it happen time and time again, so don’t expect it to change.
We did ask Lebron James and D Wade when they were going to marry their ladies and here were their comment.