♪ this is "nightline." ♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, justice for kobe. inside his widow's legal battle to protect her daughter, gianna, and her husband, the nba legend's legacy. >> she fears she'll see the photos. >> how vanessa bryant turned her pain into purpose by taking on law enforcement over the sharing of graphic helicopter crash photos. >> she vowed to see this case through to its conclusion and to have the los angeles sheriff's department and fire department held accountable. >> the powerful message reverberating with this verdict. plus housewives and harassment. >> [ bleep ]. >> "real housewives" is all about the drama. but now garcelle beauvais is pushing back hard against the hateful online targeting of her

teenage son. it's not the first time the actress says she's confronted bigotry. >> i felt like i had to represent the black women, the haitian women, the single mothers. i mean, there was a lot on my shoulders. >> why she says kids are off limits. and regal beagle. the incredible story behind harry and meghan's newest family member.

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♪ thanks for joining us. kobe's widow vanessa won a $16 million judgment over those graphic helicopter crash scene photos. now her lawyer confirming to abc news that she intends to donate the proceeds to the mamba and mambacita sports foundation to shine light on kobe and daughter gigi's legacy. some argue it's not just a legal victory but a moral one. >> you have players today, 21, 22, 23 years old, talking about kobe. they weren't alive when he started in the league, and they're talking about kobe. >> reporter: kobe bryant, five-time nba champ, two-time gold medalist, 18-time all-star. >> they want his tribe, they want to reach his level of success. so as long as there's that sport, kobe bryant's name will be mentioned.

>> reporter: aside from his athletic accolades, his most important title, husband and father. now more than two years after his tragic death, a legal win for his grieving family. and for others who lost loved ones. a federal jury in los angeles ruling in favor of vanessa bryant's civil lawsuit against l.a. county, finding that first responders inappropriately shared graphic photographs of her husband and daughter at the scene of the crash. bryant awarded $16 million in damages. her co-plaintiff, chris chester, whose daughter payton played on gianna's basketball team, also perished alongside her mother, awarded $15 million. >> this verdict for vanessa bryant means accountability. she moved forward with this lawsuit even though the county offered to settle. and she wanted to be vindicated.

and this verdict does, in fact, do that. >> reporter: tonight, a look inside the trial, including her emotional testimony on the stand and the alarming details about exactly what happened that day. it was a sunday morning. witnesses say the l.a. fog was thick as milk. kobe, his 13-year-old daughter gianna, a few of her teammates, their way to the girls' basketball game when their helicopter crashed. john, carrie, alyssa, sarah, payton chester, coach christina mauser, all killed. as well as the pilot, ara zobayan. >> she really took a lot of pride in being there for those girls. and she absolutely adored them. and i was so proud of her. i said, christina, you're doing something that no other person in the world is doing, you're coaching basketball with kobe. and i'm so proud of you. i hope i said i love you. i hope i said i love you, i don't know.

>> reporter: the news of kobe's death stunning, leaving fans around the world devastated. the legend of kobe bryant began when he was just 17. >> it's important to remember that one of the reasons why kobe bryant is so loved in los angeles is because we were not -- we kind of viewed him as a child star. >> reporter: he talked to barbara walters about his decision to go pro. >> you were a very good student gone on to college, you decided not to. why did you pass on college? >> i just saw the nba being such a challenge. such a thrill for myself. but at the same time, i could still play in the nba, still get my education. >> how do you get your education? >> summer school. it takes awhile. it's a longer process. but if you can have the best of both worlds, why not? >> reporter: he dazzled fans in the nba for 20 seasons, eventually retiring at the age of 37. when he hung up his sneakers, he leaned into writing, a boyhood passion. and of all things, won an oscar for his animated short "dear basketball."

[ speaking in italian ] >> you are my inspiration. thank you so much, girls. thank you. >> reporter: academy award winner, social justice warrior, successful entrepreneur. not to mention nba hall of famer. but perhaps his greatest accomplishment, girl dad to his four daughters. >> as long as there are fathers of daughters, girl dad will be a hashtag that will matter, and we'll think of kobe. >> reporter: but it was his second born, known as gigi, who inherited his love of basketball. something the proud dad often bragged about on instagram. and in interviews, like his 2018 appearance on "jimmy kimmel live.." >> do you think your daughter might want to play in the wnba? >> she does for sure. i mean, this kid, man. >> wouldn't that be great? >> dude, man, i'm telling you. the best thing, the best thing that happens when is we go out and fans come up to me, she'll be standing next to me, they'll be like, you've got to have a

boy, man, somebody carry on your tradition, the legacy! she's like, oi, i got this. don't need boys for that, i got it. that's right, yes, you do, yes, you got this. >> reporter: but gianna would never be able to fulfill that legacy. the loss so unimaginable, vanessa, who lost both husband and daughter that day, eulogizing them in a memorial service at the staples center. >> god knew they couldn't be on this earth without each other. he had to bring them home to have them together. >> reporter: a little over a month after the tragedy, as the world continued to mourn, a disturbing report from the "l.a. times" that the l.a. county sheriff's deputies shared graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed kobe bryant and eight others. after the leak, l.a. county

sheriff alex villanueva acknowledging at least eight deputies took or shared graphic photos, but insisted the agency made a thorough effort to make sure they weren't seen by the public. a citizen complaint alleged a deputy was showing the gruesome images at a norwalk bar. >> obviously there is some legitimate reason for first responders to take photographs at a tragic accident scene. but to have those photographs shared with people outside of the law enforcement agencies that have actual first responders sharing them at a bar? i was also outraged and shocked by the conduct of these individuals who we place so much trust in. >> reporter: those details would become part of vanessa bryant's lawsuit against the county, alleging officers abused their access to the crash site by taking and sharing gratuitous photos of her family's remains. the complaint also states that fire department officials were also involved in taking and sharing inappropriate photos from the scene.

>> she filed a civil lawsuit alleging violations of privacy rights under the 14th amendment. and she vowed to see this case through to its conclusion and to have the los angeles sheriff's department and fire department held accountable. the county's defense was, look, this is a case about pictures where there is no picture. they essentially said, all of the plaintiff's case is speculation, because none of the pictures have actually emerged on the internet. >> reporter: chester also filing a lawsuit against the county. a judge combining his case with bryant's before heading to trial earlier this month. >> the entire trial was about grief compounded on grief. a lot of emotion, a lot of crying at the plaintiff's table, a lot of really, really compelling, gripping testimony. >> reporter: friday, bryant herself took the stand. tearful, she described how she still suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, saying, i live in fear every day, i don't want my children to ever come across them. >> the constant fear is as i think mrs. bryant's lawyer said it best, every day she fears

she'll see the photos or someday she will see the photos. it's easy for some people to say, well, they haven't shown up so they never will. that doesn't work. >> reporter: jerry jackson represents vanessa's co-plaintiff, chris chester. i want to read part of the defendant's trial brief to you. plaintiffs' fears stem from their imagination, about what the photos might look like if they ever appeared, it's been 2 1/2 years, no county photos have ever been leaked. what are your thoughts on that line of argument? >> well, that's an easy argument to make when you don't know how many photos were taken. there's nothing imaginary about the fear. >> in your mind, this is not a figment of your client's imagination? >> clearly not. >> reporter: the trial lasted 11 days. it only took the jury 4 1/2 hours to reach a verdict in bryant and chester's favor. vanessa speaking out about the $31 million ruling, posting on instagram, justice for kobe and gigi. this is clearly an act of

justice for your client as well. what, if any, healing might this verdict provide for your client and his family? >> juju, i don't know the answer to that. we're all taught growing that up time heals all wounds. i hope that's true. i know it heals a lot, maybe most of them. particularly in this case, for both my client and for mrs. bryant. as long as they can't account for all of those photos, i don't know there will ever be total heal. that's why the jury's verdict is so appropriate. >> reporter: the lady counsel for l.a. county putting out this statement. we are grateful for the jury's hard work in this case. while we disagree with the jury's findings as to the county's liability, we believe the monetary award show the jurors didn't believe the evidence supported the plaintiff's request for emotional stress. we will be discussing next steps with our client. meanwhile, we hope the bryant and chester families contine to heal from their tragic loss.

the verdict came on the same day the city continues to remember kobe bryant. >> kobe day really started first because kobe changed his number. started off 8, then he went to 24. 8, 24. august 24th. it's the day after his birthday. again, i don't think he planned it that way. but it's kind of a perfect bookend, you know, for the city to be able to mourn him going forward. >> reporter: not far from the courthouse, a newly painted mural showing the star next to a black mamba, his daughter gigi playing basketball. >> brought a smile to my face as soon as i saw it. as soon as i saw it, i just lit up. >> when you start thinking about all the things he accomplished on the basketball court, in the business world, and then philanthropy, then creatively, that just speaks to just how big of a personality as well as how curious he was and just how awesome of a human being he was, to be quite honest with you.

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the teen is way out of bounds. the kids, they say, are off limits. the cast of bravo's "real housewives" franchise is known for its over-the-top tv moments. >> shame on you. >> i'm not talking to you. >> shut your [ bleep ]ing mouth, i've had enough of you. >> reporter: but this incident seemed to spill beyond just the ladies' drama. >> what are you doing here? get the [ bleep ] out of here. get the [ bleep ] out of here. >> don't listen to these ladies. >> get the [ bleep ] out of here before you get in trouble. >> reporter: beverly hills housewife erika jayne seen cursing at garcelle beauvais's 14-year-old son jax at his mother's birthday party in the most recent season. next episode, erika then apologized to garcelle for her comments. >> under no circumstances can you disrespect not only a kid, but my kid. >> i agree and take full responsibility. >> thank you. >> and you know what, i was [ bleep ] talking and treating the kids like they were adults, and i was wrong. >> reporter: jax has played a larger role in the 12th season of the "beverly hills"

franchise, and with that raised profile, it's apparently made him a target of online harassment. as viewer feuds and favorites spill over. one comment on instagram read, "you'd have your neck kneeled on if it weren't for your white daddy. garcelle taking to social media yesterday in response to the online racist vitriol and hate her biracial son has been receiving. she reposted a message from jax on her instagram story. he wrote, "it's currently my first week of high school, and instead of enjoying it like most kids in my school, i have to deal with being attacked on social media." adding, he did not sign up for the show, nor do i have anything to do with the show's drama. >> oh my god, this is going to be me in a fishbowl with my family, everything. and i didn't -- i wanted to represent myself. i didn't want people to sort of put a label on me. >> reporter: garcelle beauvais, the first black housewife of

"beverly hills," told me in an interview for her memoir that she's confronted issues of race throughout her acting and modeling career. >> i felt like i had to represent the black women, the haitian women, you know, the single mothers. i mean, there was a lot on my shoulders. >> reporter: when we sat down in april, she told us she's using her newfound reality tv fame to tackle subtle racial issues like what she saw as unconscious bias when fellow housewife kyle richards accused her of failing to pay a $5,000 charity pledge. >> you calling me out about not paying with a charity cut me to the core. >> i know you're a good person. you took care of it right away after that. >> you know, i don't think they've ever had to look at it in someone's else's perspective because their landscape was all white, right? it wasn't just not paying for the charity, it's like, what are you saying and the connotations that come with being a black woman and not paying. >> these stereotypes, that people think we don't pay for our represent, that we don't

tip. >> it's almost as if you pointed out an invisible line she had crossed and hadn't seen. >> yes, right, and didn't know there was a line there. she's not racist at all. i want to make sure that's clear. >> i appreciate you sharing that with me. >> what i loved is when i did sit with kyle, she understood, she heard me. the world was talking about it. you know, in the middle of black lives matter and also i felt like, if it's truly a reality show, this is my reality. >> reporter: jax isn't the first "housewives" kid caught up in their mother's reality. both kyle richards and lisa renner's daughters found themselves in the internet's crosshairs. lisa, kyle, erika jayne among others reposting bravo's statement which read, we are shocked and appalled at the social comments directed at garcelle's son. we urge our viewers and social followers alike to refrain from targeting our cast and their families with harmful rhetoric. for now, garcelle begging viewers to keep the kids out of the "housewife" drama, posting on twitter, i've been in tears all night, adding, leave our kids alone.

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the humane society of the united states rescued them from a breeding and testing facility in virginia after an undercover investigation. >> it's all okay now, sweetie. >> reporter: some of them hungry and sleepy. but tonight some good news. the humane society telling us they have rescued nearly 3,000 of those beagles and still going. >>this is red. >> reporter: at this facility in maryland, a new batch just arrived. their first stop before they go to one of the 75 shelter partners across the country to be adopted. >> it is very heartwarming when we see them touch grass for the first time. you see them play, interact, just get a taste of what the rest of their life is going to look like. >> reporter: the demand growing. >> let's go home, hon. >> reporter: from wisconsin to north carolina. in new jersey, governor phil murphy and his wife, tammy, tweeting a photo of their new beagle, morti. news that meghan, the duchess of sussex, and husband, prince harry, have adopted one from a california shelter. the goal, the humane society hopes, to get the rest of the

dogs released from the facility by early september. >> and that's "nightline." you can watch all our episodes on hulu. see you back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america. now you can save big on supersonic wifi from xfinity. can it handle all of my devices? all that. and it comes with a 2-year rate guarantee.