Olivia Munn & Kobe Bryant Were Planning Project That Helped Kids Cope With Death

BY Erika Marie 3.7K Views
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Kobe Bryant, Olivia Munn
She paid her respects in a lengthy Instagram post.

It was always clear that Kobe Bryant was a man of many talents. The NBA champion and Oscar winner was a businessman with quite the diversified portfolio as he worked on multiple projects in various industries. While sports held a special place in Kobe's heart, he also ran Granity Studios, a multimedia company. In the wake of his death, actress Olivia Munn shared a tribute on her Instagram page with a lengthy message about their friendship and partnership for a new project.

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The Predator actress shared a black and white photo of the Los Angeles Lakers icon and penned a lengthy caption where she mourned the loss of her collaborator. "Kobe. You were such a wonderful friend," Olivia began. "Always positive and thoughtful and supportive and reliable and so, so bright. One of the brightest souls I've ever seen and I am absolutely devastated by this."

She said that they were supposed to get together and "brainstorm more parts of the epic world you were creating at Granity Studios." The last time the pair allegedly spoke, they were working on an idea about helping children deal with loss and death, a concept inspired by Olivia's friends. "I told you my idea about what the night sky would be made of. I was inspired by friends of mine who lost their 4-year-old daughter to cancer," the actress wrote. "When explaining to their younger daughter what happened, instead of saying that her sister had died, they would tell her that "Billie turned into a star." To this day, if you ask her where her sister is, she'll say 'Billie étoile.'"⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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"We wanted to help kids be less afraid of death and tell stories of all the little and big stars.... And now you're one of them. 😞⭐️⁣⁣⁣⁣," she continued. "Sending all of my love to Vanessa and your daughters. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣Rest in love my friend. I'll look for you in the sky. 🌟💫."

Read her message in full below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.