Natalia Bryant is a model, college student and burgeoning fashion star

 

Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant with two of their daughters, Natalia and Gianna, in 2018. PHOTO: AXELLE/BAUER-GRIFFIN/FILMMAGIC

Natalia Bryant has faced unspeakable tragedy in her life — losing her father, Kobe Bryant, and her sister Gianna Bryant in 2020, when she was just a teenager. But she, with her mother, Vanessa Bryant, and younger sisters Capri and Bianka, have made it through together.

The eldest Bryant daughter is a college student at the University of Southern California and a professional model.

“If someone says [being a full-time student] is not difficult, they’re lying because it is,” Natalia told PEOPLE in February 2024. “In regards to having a full-time school schedule and also balancing modeling, I do think that you need to just embrace whatever the future has in store.”

She added, “But I do think that having a great support team, family and friends has been the most important thing.”

Since their deaths, Natalia has worked to honor her father and sister’s memories. At a ceremony remembering Kobe in March 2023, she said, “Being his daughter is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I hope to continue to embody and cherish the many lessons he has taught me.”

When Natalia graduated from high school in 2021, she had her dad with her in spirit, decorating her graduation cap with a quote from the basketball legend that read, “Everything negative — pressure, challenges — is all an opportunity for me to rise.”

From her close relationship with her family to her career as a model, here’s everything to know about Natalia Bryant.

 

She’s the oldest daughter of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant

MAXX WOLFSON/GETTY

Natalia Bryant was born Jan. 19, 2003. She’s the eldest daughter of Kobe and Vanessa. Her sisters Gianna and Bianka were born in May 2006 and December 2016, respectively, while her youngest sister Capri was born in June 2019, just six months before Kobe and Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash.

“I love talking about my dad,” Natalia told Teen Vogue. “It’s bittersweet, but I enjoy talking about him more than it’s sad for me.”

She continued, “You do the best that you can. [For] my little sisters [we’re] trying to keep that memory for them. And also just trying to remember to live out every day the way they would.”

While speaking to PEOPLE in March 2021, Vanessa praised her daughter for looking out for her little sisters while navigating her own path in the world.

“On top of her own grief, she has balanced her senior year of high school, applying to colleges, nurturing her sisters, and just recently signing her own modeling contract with IMG,” she explained, calling Natalia her “right-hand woman.”

“She is a wonderful big sister and an incredible daughter.”

Kobe was always proud of his daughters and prized being a girl dad. “My friends say, ‘It takes a real man to make a boy,’ ” he said in 2017. “I’m like, ‘Dude, it takes a king to make a princess … get in line’ … It’s pretty cool for me ’cause it’s Daddy’s little princesses.”

 

She’s keeping her father and sister’s memory alive

Natalia Bryant, Bianka Bryant, Capri Bryant, Vanessa Bryant. JORDAN STRAUSS/INVISION/AP/SHUTTERSTOCK

In a video for Vogue, posted in December 2022, Natalia shared something personal: the necklaces she wears in memory of Kobe and Gianna.

“This is a necklace that says ‘Slim,’ ” she said. “That was my nickname growing up. I was just so eency-teency. All my jerseys said Slim. I didn’t grow into the jerseys until I was, like, older. So my dad would always call me Slim.”

The other necklace she wears every day is from the Mamba and Mambacita Foundation, a charity founded in Kobe and Gianna’s memory. “It says, ‘Dedication makes dreams come true,’ ” Natalia shared. “And it’s a quote from my dad. So, it’s something that I live by.”

At the unveiling of Kobe’s handprints at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood in March 2023, Natalia spoke directly to her father’s memory.

“Dad, you’re an icon, a legend, the storyteller, and most importantly, the best girl dad any young woman could ever dream of,” she said. “I’m honored to be here to represent you and our family, and we are extremely proud of you. We will love you forever and always. Love, Natalia, Gianna, Bianka, Capri and Mommy.”

In September 2023, Natalia threw the first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ annual “Lakers Night.” She honored her dad by wearing a Dodgers jersey embroidered with his Lakers numbers — No. 8 and No. 24.

She also spoke about how important carrying on her father’s legacy is to her in an interview with Town & Country in January 2024.

“In terms of legacy, my main goal is just to be the best version of me that I possibly can,” Natalia said, adding, “I just need to know that I have to keep learning, because there’s no finish line. You just have to keep pushing and being the best person you can be and soaking everything up like a sponge… The job’s never done.”

 

She’s a model

DIMITRIOS KAMBOURIS/GETTY

When Natalia turned 18 in 2021, she signed with IMG Models.

“I have always been interested in fashion since a very young age,” Natalia said in a statement shared to IMG’s Instagram account. “I have a love for the industry, and ever since I can remember, I wanted to model. There is a lot to learn, but I feel this is a great opportunity for me to learn and express myself creatively.”

She had the full support of her mom when signing the contract.

“Daddy would be so happy that you’re pursuing your modeling career now that you’re 18,” Vanessa captioned a photo of her eldest daughter on Instagram. “You’re beautiful inside and out. We love you.”

In September 2023, Natalia made her runway debut at the Versace show during Milan Fashion Week.

“I’m so grateful to Donatella [Versace] and am honored that she has invited me to be a part of something so special,” she told Vogue ahead of the big day. “She was just so welcoming and sweet and made me feel so comfortable. Meeting her definitely helped settle any nerves.”

 

She’s a college student

NATALIA BRYANT INSTAGRAM

Natalia is a sophomore at the University of Southern California, where she enrolled in August 2021. “Today was rough,” her mom said on drop-off day.

Natalia documented her college acceptances on social media as she received them, with offer letters from the University of California Irvine, New York University, Loyola Marymount University and the University of Oregon.

When she got her acceptance to USC, Vanessa posted a sweet message of congratulations.

“Your hard work and dedication was so worth it. You pushed through the most excruciating pain imaginable and you succeeded,” she wrote on Instagram. “I wish Daddy and Gigi were physically here to celebrate but I know they’re here in spirit. We love you so much!”

 

She’s friends with some A-list celebrities

NATALIA BRYANT INSTAGRAM

Natalia was in attendance at Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz’s wedding in April 2022.

“Had the most amazing time this weekend celebrating the love of two of the sweetest people I know ❤️,” she captioned an Instagram post of her wearing a teal gown. “Nicola and Brooklyn, thank you so much for having me. You two are so incredibly loved.”

Natalia also spends time with her mom’s close friends, including Ciara and La La Anthony. In 2020, Ciara shared a video of herself playing football with Natalia and Anthony.

“The Girls Taking The W…. As We Should😌,” Natalia wrote on her Instagram.

She is also seemingly pals with Timothée Chalamet. At the 2021 Met Gala, the two posed for a selfie along with Ciara. The model and actress reunited again at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty in 2022.

 

Her mother is her muse

JENNIFER POTTHEISER/NBAE/GETTY

In April 2021, Natalia and Vanessa appeared together in a Bulgari ad campaign for Mother’s Day.

The mother-daughter duo shot a short film titled A Mother’s Legacy, which “shares an intimate glance into their special relationship, revealing how they inspire, motivate and empower one another,” according to a release.

“Over the years, she taught me confidence, and that beauty comes from the inside first,” Natalia told Vogue of her mother. “Beauty fades, so be sure to be positive, confident and like who I am, my morals and views. That’s definitely helped shape who I am as an individual.”

VANESSA BRYANT/INSTAGAM

Natalia also enjoys spending quality lot of time with Vanessa. In June and July 2023, the mother-daughter duo, plus Bianka and Capri, vacationed in Spain. The proud mom shared photos on Instagram of beautiful sights, local cuisine and a snap of the family posing together on a cobblestone street.

 

She’s becoming a red-carpet regular

DANIELE VENTURELLI/GETTY

At the December 2022 premiere of Babylon, Natalia walked the red carpet wearing an asymmetrical bronze gown. She’s also been to the Met Gala, in a gown chosen by Anna Wintour herself, and the 2022 CDFA Awards.

“I love how fashion inspires different people from different cultures and different parts of the country,” she said in a Q&A with IMG, her modeling agency. “You can gain inspiration from everywhere and anyone, and I think that’s the most beautiful part about fashion is that you can find inspiration anywhere.”

 

She works as an intern for Beyoncé

Natalia Bryant; Beyoncé. STEVEN SIMIONE/GETTY IMAGES, MASON POOLE/PARKWOOD MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES FOR ATLANTIS THE ROYAL

In May 2023, Beyoncé released a full list of her team for her Renaissance World Tour, including Natalia, who has been interning for Beyoncé’s record label and management company Parkwood Entertainment.

Natalia has worked with Beyoncé in the past, appearing in the musician’s November 2021 Ivy Park campaign.