Vanessa Bryant joins fight to preserve mural honoring Kobe, Gianna on downtown LA building
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Vanessa Bryant is fighting to preserve a downtown mural of her late husband Kobe and daughter Gianna.
Local artist Sloe Motions painted the mural on an outdoor wall at Hardcore Fitness on Pico Boulevard a few days after the helicopter crash in Calabasas that killed the Lakers icon, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others.
The painting depicts both Kobe and Gianna with angel wings. They are seen among clouds while wearing basketball jerseys.
The mural, located about half a mile from Crypto.com Arena, is one of about 340 murals in Southern California that feature Kobe Bryant.
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More than three years after the painting outside Hardcore Fitness was created, the gym's owner, Cecilia Moran, says she recently received a notice from the landlord informing her that he wants it removed.
Moran told ABC7 that the building's owner wants to use the wall space for advertising. ABC7 has not been able to reach the landlord for comment.
"What he has notified me is, if I don't remove the mural by Dec. 31 he's going to be doing it and I'll have to pay all the costs that involves," Moran said.
She insisted that she's "OK with that, because I refuse and I'm going to stand for what I believe. And what I believe is that's not right...I don't believe in destroying something that has so much impact on people," Moran added.
A Change.org petition has been created in an effort to preserve the mural.
Over the weekend, Vanessa Bryant posted on her Instagram stories, sharing that petition to preserve the popular mural.
"Please sign this petition to save this beautiful Kobe & Gianna Mural. Thank you," she wrote in the caption.
More than 76,000 signatures had been collected as of Monday afternoon.
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