Vanessa Bryant blasts Nike over apparently leaked shoe honoring Gianna

Vanessa Bryant
(Image credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Vanessa Bryant isn't happy with Nike.

The widow of Kobe Bryant in an Instagram post on Thursday demanded to know how a shoe apparently leaked that she worked on with Nike in honor of her late daughter, Gianna, but decided not to sell.

The shoes were "NOT approved for sale" or even approved to be made, Bryant wrote, noting that she previously chose not to re-sign a contract with the company. She also said that Nike has not sent her any pairs.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

But Bryant shared a photo of someone holding the shoe, and an Instagram user who posted pictures of them claimed their photos were "official product pictures from a Nike authorized retailer" and that Nike seemingly "sent pairs to this retailer (as well as others) with the intent of selling" them, TMZ reports.

Nike hasn't commented on the situation, but Bryant is calling for an explanation, writing, "I do not know how someone else has their hands on shoes I designed in honor of my daughter, Gigi, and we don't. I hope these shoes did not get sold."

Explore More
Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.