Taylor Swift took the time to give Kobe Bryant’s family a special shoutout at her first of 6 sold-out shows at SoFi stadium in Los Angeles. During her August 4 concert, Taylor hugged Kobe and Vanessa Bryant’s 6-year-old, Bianka, and gave her the black “22” hat she wears while performing the song. Taylor gave Bianka a kiss on the cheek after placing the hat on her head.
Taylor Swift shares special moment with Kobe Bryant’s daughter Bianka, giving her the “22” hat at the Eras Tour in Los Angeles.
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) August 4, 2023
Bianka was decked out in a precious outfit for The Eras Tour, complete with a sequined jacket and purple tulle dress. She attended the concert with mom Vanessa and big sister Natalia Bryant. Vanessa posted an Instagram photo of the moment Taylor hugged Bianka and wrote, “We love you @taylorswift.”
Vanessa wore a jean jacket with a 2015 photo of Kobe and Taylor printed on the back to the concert. Above the photo, felted letters spelled out “SWIFTIE.” Vanessa also had a heart-shaped patch sewed onto the jacket with the words “say you’ll remember me,” which is a reference to “Wildest Dreams.”
Taylor’s round of LA concerts comes nearly 8 years after Kobe was one of her special guests during her 1989 World Tour. Kobe was a big Taylor fan and joined the “Blank Space” on stage at her August 21, 2015 concert.
The NBA legend sang Taylor’s praises in a 2019 interview. “Taylor’s been at the top of the game for a very, very long time,” he said on The Jordan Harbinger Show. “I don’t care if you like her music or don’t like her music, look at what she’s doing. It’s frightening. It’s unbelievable to be able to pull that off over and over, and so I look at things like that to try and learn from them as much as I can.”
Kobe, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant, and 7 others died in a helicopter crash back in January 2020. After the tragedy, Taylor took to social media to mourn the loss of Kobe. “My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy,” she tweeted. “I can’t fathom what the families are going through. Kobe meant so much to me and to us all. Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight.”
