Kobe Bryant’s Recent Affair Forced Vanessa to Leave + Vanessa ‘Lawyers-Up’

On Friday, after more than 10 years of marriage, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant announced that they were ending their marriage. Vanessa filed, citing “irreconciliable differences.” And while neither the couple together, nor Vanessa alone, shared the reason why the marriage ended, many of us ASSUMED that it was because of Kobe cheating.

If you recall, back in 2003 Kobe was involved in a highly publicized investigation involving sexual assault by a 19-year-old hotel employee in Eagle, Colorado. The alleged victim (Katelyn Faber) claimed that Kobe raped her, while Kobe denied the allegation. The following year, the case was dropped, as the victim would not testify in trial. Kobe later apologized,

“Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter.”

Fast forward to the present day and sources say Kobe has continued to cheat throughout their marriage. It has been reported that Vanessa caught Kobe “very recently” cheating on her and that he’s been involved with “multiple women” throughout their marriage. Apparently, Kobe’s latest affair was what encouraged Vanessa to finally end things and she’s  hired divorce lawyer Laura Wasser, who has worked on a number of high-profile divorces like Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, Maria Shriver and Kim Kardashian. [Photo: Wally Skalij]