Taylor Swift shares poignant moment with Bianka Bryant, daughter of Kobe and Vanessa, at concert
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- During the first show of Taylor Swift's highly anticipated concert series at SoFi Stadium, the Grammy winner shared a poignant moment with Bianka Bryant, daughter of Kobe and Vanessa Bryant.
Vanessa Bryant posted a photo of the encounter on Instagram, showing Swift hugging 6-year-old Bianka as thousands of fans looked on. "We love you @taylorswift," the caption said.
While performing her song "22," Swift gave the hat she was wearing to Bianka. Giving the "22" hat to a fan during each live performance has become a tradition for the singer. The exchange quickly went viral online.
Earlier on Thursday night, Vanessa shared an image of a denim jacket that was emblazoned with the word "Swiftie" and featured a photo of Swift and Kobe onstage together at Staples Center in 2015. Kobe had joined Swift to present her with a banner commemorating her 16th sold-out performance at the venue, a record.
Another social media photo paid tribute to Gianna "Gigi" Bryant: it depicted a patch on the denim jacket that said "Say You'll Remember Me." Vanessa also posted photos of the various friendship bracelets --a tradition among Eras tour-goers--she wore to the show, which included tributes to her late husband and daughter.
The Eras Tour setlist: Here's what Taylor Swift performed at her SoFi Stadium show
Kobe Bryant, the former Lakers star, five-time NBA champion and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, was traveling with Gianna and seven others to a youth basketball game when the helicopter they were aboard crashed into hills in Calabasas on Jan. 26, 2020.
Additional "Eras" tour performances are scheduled for Friday, Saturday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Inglewood stadium.
Before the shows even began, a pre-event merchandise sale attracted thousands of fans to the stadium on Wednesday. Swifties braved an hourslong wait for the chance to buy T-shirts, sweatshirts and other Swift tour memorabilia. There will be another open merchandise sale from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, which is an off day in Swift's six-night run at SoFi.
