Vanessa Bryant Channels Rihanna To Address Pregnancy Rumors Like A Boss

Vanessa Bryant is tackling rumors about her private life with a little help from the Rihanna playbook.

The widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant shut down online speculation she’s pregnant with her fifth child by sharing a photo of Rihanna looking particularly unbothered, drink in hand, to her Instagram Stories.

“Me protecting my peace, not pregnant & having fun all summer,” Vanessa Bryant wrote, alongside a handful of cheerful emojis.

A moment later, she added a second Rihanna meme with the caption: “I’m not mean, I’m just not the one.”

Rumors that Vanessa Bryant was expecting a child with an unnamed 27-year-old basketball player began popping up online late last month, though the source of the speculation is unclear.

The philanthropist and former dancer hasn’t publicly been in a romantic relationship since the 2020 death of Kobe Bryant and their daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash.

She and her late husband also share three other daughters: Natalia, 22, Bianka, 8, and Capri, 5.

Prior to Vanessa Bryant’s witty response, the rumors had sparked a fair amount of discourse over the social expectations placed on widows. The implication that the 43-year-old had moved on to a new romance five years after Kobe Bryant’s death drew criticism on social media, with some oddly suggesting she had an obligation to stay single to protect her late husband’s legacy.

“Bashing Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s wife, for being pregnant is just insane to me. Genuinely, she is a widow,” one TikTok user said Monday. “What do you all expect widows to do? Life keeps going, life keeps moving. Who said that she couldn’t heal and she couldn’t go ahead and continue to live life?”

Added another: “This lady is allowed to love again … you all do know that a lot of men, they move on the next month, the next year, the next week, the next minute. So, really, why does it matter? It’s literally been half of a decade.”

New romance or not, Vanessa Bryant appeared to be staying true to her pledge by taking in a day at Disneyland.

On Monday, she shared a short video on Instagram showing her with her daughters at the Anaheim, California, theme park.