Kylie Jenner Used to Fly in Kobe Bryant's Helicopter
For Kylie Jenner, the shocking helicopter crash that claimed the life of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others, is particularly painful and frightening.
In a post the cosmetics mogul and reality star shared to her Instagram story on Monday, Jenner paid tribute to all those who were killed in the tragic accident, and revealed that she'd ridden on the helicopter that had crashed and knew the pilot, Ara Zobayan.
"Rest in peace.. and prayers to these families," Jenner wrote below what appears to be a TV news graphic showing the faces of all nine victims of the crash. "I still can't believe this."
"That was the helicopter I would fly on from time to time with that pilot, Ara," Jenner continued. "He was such a nice man. Hold your loved ones close."
On Sunday, following the crash, Jenner paid tribute to Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, sharing a beaming snapshot of the both of them to Instagram.
"At a loss for words right now," she wrote. "Praying for this beautiful family."
The Kardashian-Jenner family had recently flown on the helicopter in question back in November, when they rented it for a special birthday surprise for Rob Kardashian's daughter, Dream, in celebration of her third birthday.
The proud dad shared several photos of his little girl in front of and on board the vehicle on her special day on Nov. 10.
The Los Angeles Lakers legend and his daughter were reportedly on their way to the Mamba Academy near Thousand Oaks, California, when the crash occurred. The L.A. County Sheriff's Office revealed on Sunday, sharing that all eight passengers and the helicopter's pilot, Zobayan, had died.
Alyssa Altobelli, a teammate of Gianna's, was also on the helicopter, along with her parents, Keri and John Altobelli, who was a baseball coach at Orange Coast College.
Also among the victims is Christina Mauser, an assistant coach at Harbor Day School in Corona Del Mar, California, who had previously worked with Bryant on a clinic for WNBA players at the Mamba Academy. Another of Gianna's teammates, Payton Chester, and her mother, Sarah Chester, also lost their life in the crash.
For more on the outpouring of grief, condolences and heartfelt tributes to the victims of the crash, see the video below.
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