Vanessa Bryant's mom: Sofia Laine's biography and facts
Vanessa Bryant's mom, Sofia Laine, made tabloid headlines months after her son-in-law's tragic passing in 2020. She sued her daughter and Kobe Bryant's estate for money, leading to a strained relationship with her daughter, who revealed she had always cared for her. How is their relationship today?
Source: UGC
Constant financial troubles plagued Sofia Laine's family before her daughter Vanessa married NBA star Kobe Bryant in 2001. Kobe and Sofia seemed to be close, even letting her stay in one of his properties and inviting her to join the family for special events.
Sofia Laine's profile and bio summary
| Full name | Sofia Urbieta Laine |
| Date of birth | 4 October 1952 |
| Age | 71 years in 2023 |
| Birth sign | Libra |
| Place of birth | United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Gender | Female |
| Sexual orientation | Straight |
| Marital status | Divorced |
| Ex-husband | Cornejo (first husband), Stephen Laine (1990 to 2002) |
| Children | Two, including Sophie and Vanessa Bryant |
| Grandchildren | Natalia, Bianka, Capri, and the late Gianna Bryant |
| Known for | Being Vanessa Bryant's mother |
Who are Vanessa Bryant's mother and father?
Vanessa is Sofia Laine's youngest daughter with her first husband, Cornejo. After her parents' divorce, she rarely saw her father. Vanessa later dropped her Cornejo surname and started using her stepfather's name, Laine, after her mother's marriage to Stephen.
How old is Sofia Laine?
Vanessa Bryant's mom, Sofia Laine (aged 71 years as of 2023), was born on 4 October 1952 in the United States. She holds the American nationality.
Sofia Laine's husband and children
Sofia and her first husband, Cornejo, welcomed two daughters, Vanessa and Sophie. She filed for divorce when the girls were young. Cornejo later relocated to Baja, Mexico, leaving Sofia to raise the daughters as a single mother.
Sofia met Stephen Laine, a middle-level manager at an electronics company, in the late 1980s while living in her sister's spare room. Despite being eight years Stephen's senior, the two started a romantic relationship and tied the knot in 1990.
The family relocated to Anaheim and then lived briefly in Temecula before relocating to Garden Grove. Sofia filed for divorce from Stephen in July 2002 after over 12 years of marriage and 15 months after Vanessa and Kobe Bryant's wedding. She cited infidelity as the reason.
The couple was later involved in a court battle over spousal support. Stephen has been paying Sofia $1,800 monthly alimony since 2004.
Source: Getty Images
Sofia Laine's career
Vanessa Bryant's mom used to work as a low-level shipping clerk at an electronics company. She was later laid off after suffering a chronic back injury, which prevented her from working effectively and finding a new job. Sofia Laine and Stephen Laine were forced to file for bankruptcy in 2000.
Sofia Laine's net worth
Her exact net worth is unknown, but various sources estimate it to be between $100,000 and $2 million. For years, she was supported by Kobe Bryant's family while receiving monthly alimony from her ex-husband.
What is Vanessa Bryant's mother suing her for?
In December 2020, Sophia's mom filed a lawsuit against her daughter Vanessa and Kobe Bryant's estate, asking to be paid $5 million. In the documents, she claimed the late NBA star had promised to take care of her for life, but Vanessa was voiding the promises.
She also said she had been a personal assistant and nanny to Vanessa's family for many years but was not paid for her work. Earlier in September 2020, Sophia said during an appearance on Univision's El Gorda y La Flaca that Vanessa had kicked her out of the house and took her car months after Kobe's fatal helicopter crash.
Source: UGC
What did Vanessa Bryant say about her mom?
Vanessa expressed her disappointment after Sofia's lawsuit, calling it hurtful and disgraceful. She released a statement accusing her mother of trying to extort her financially after her husband's death. It read in part;
My mother is continuing to try and find ways to extort a financial windfall from our family. I have supported her for nearly twenty years, and she was never my or Kobe's personal assistant, nor was she a nanny. I have always been a stay-at-home mother, and my husband and I were our daughter's full-time caregivers. For nearly two decades, we arranged for my mother to live in our nearby properties at no cost.
In September 2020, she also slammed her mother for talking ill of her on TV. She denied reports that suggested Sofia had been supportive after Kobe and Gianna's death.
My husband and daughter passed away unexpectedly, and yet my mom has the audacity to do an interview on TV talking negatively about me while shedding tears about a car and home that wasn't in her name. She has removed all her diamond jewellery, emptied her apartment that I provide, and put the furniture in storage to appear as though she is without support.
Does Vanessa Bryant have a relationship with her mother?
The mother-daughter duo still has a strained relationship after Sofia publicly accused her daughter of not supporting her. In August 2021, the $5 million lawsuit was settled, but the Vanessa and Sofia Laine settlement terms have remained private.
Kobe was close to Vanessa's mother after periods of estrangement from his parents, Pam and Joe Bryant. He invited his mother-in-law to many of his functions while snubbing his birth parents.
Source: Getty Images
How much is Vanessa Bryant worth in 2023?
Vanessa's net worth is estimated to be $600 million in 2023. She took over her husband's business after his unexpected passing in 2020. She is the president and CEO of Granity Studios and heads the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation.
Where is Sofia Laine today?
She has stayed out of the spotlight since the settlement of her lawsuit against Vanessa Bryant in August 2021. It is unclear if the two are working on fixing their relationship.
The saga surrounding Vanessa Bryant's mom, Sofia Laine, has not stopped her from maintaining Kobe Bryant's legacy. She is also focused on her children and often posts their milestones on her Instagram.
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Source: Briefly News
