Vanessa Bryant's Mother Responds To Claims She's Extorting Her Daughter

Vanessa Bryant’s mother, Sofia Laine, is responding to her daughter’s statement following her $5 million lawsuit going public.

Source: Stefanie Keenan / Getty

Laine has come forward, once again, to reiterate her claims that Vanessa has abandoned her financially following Kobe’s death, even after she was promised that she would be supported for the rest of her life. Last week, Laine filed a $5 million lawsuit against her daughter and Kobe Bryant’s estate, Vanessa came forward and said her mother is trying to extort her.

Now, Sofia is responding with her own statement, which she gave to TMZ.

“For starters, I would like to state that I do not enjoy airing our family grievances in the public. Although I filed a lawsuit, I did not make any public comments and was hoping for the court process to run its course without the publicity, as hurtful as it is. I did not want this and do not want this,” Laine said in her statement. “However I did not have a choice as it is Vanessa’s own doing that has resulted in this now public quarrel. All I wanted is what I worked for. Vanessa, despite everything that I have been promised and done for her and the family, has attempted to sever all ties and renege on all obligations and agreements. Why would she do this to her own mother? I am so disappointed, hurt, and wronged to the point that I had no choice but to file a lawsuit. I am nearly 70 years old, my health is deteriorating, and my own daughter is dong this to me?”

She went on to reinforce her claims that she was a nanny to the Bryant family as well as their personal assistant over the years, which is something that Vanessa continues to deny. Laine went on to say that the $96 an hour wage, which she is suing for, is a rate that was decided by her daughter–not her.

“As for the $96.00 hourly wage that I am seeking, it was actually Vanessa that set this wage and not me,” she continued. “When Vanessa moved me out of my home and into an apartment, she completed a rental application in my name, without my knowledge, and wrote that I was being paid $200,000 annually, which equates to a $96.00 per hour wage.”

Laine also accused her daughter of cancelling and voiding “everything that I was entitled to” after Kobe’s death.

“Promises were made, work was done, and, in the end, Vanessa cancelled and voided everything that I was entitled to,” she continued. “What Vanessa did to me in private was hurtful. Now, she is hurting me even more in public and it is exceedingly difficult for me to go forward but I am strong, and I will persevere, even though she has a very large and expensive public relations team. I have nothing to hide.”

You can read Vanessa’s previous statement here.