Marie Osmond’s ‘Heart Is Broken’ for Vanessa Bryant: ‘I Know What It’s Like to Lose a Child’
No words. Marie Osmond was fighting back tears as she and The Talk cohosts discussed Kobe Bryant’s recent death. While chatting about the iconic basketball star, who tragically died alongside his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, as well as seven others, following a helicopter crash on January 26, the legendary performer wanted his widow, Vanessa Bryant, to know she’s not alone.
“You said he was one of the greatest players of all time, but I think he’s one of the greatest human beings, as far as service and caring about people,” Marie, 60, emotionally shared during the CBS talk show on Monday, January 27. “I know my heart is broken for Vanessa. Because I know what it’s like to lose a child, but I can’t imagine what she’s going through to lose the love of her life and a child.”
The “Paper Roses” songstress — who lost her son Michael to suicide in 2010 — was visibly shaken as she tried to imagine how Vanessa, 37, and the longtime couple’s other three daughters, Natalia, 17, Bianka, 3, and Capri, 7 months, were holding up. “My deepest prayers would go to her and the other kids,” Marie said through tears. “Because those children, they’ve lost their daddy and their sister. So, just many prayers sent out.”
In a clip of the heartfelt moment posted to The Talk‘s Instagram page, fans flooded the comments section with sweet messages for the mourning mothers. “So very sad 😪😪😪😪 my goes out to their family and all who love him,” one fan wrote, while another echoed, “Heaven has a team of new angles tonight.” A third fan chimed in, writing, “This here hurt me so bad.”
Since losing her beloved son to suicide almost one decade ago, the Donny & Marie star has learned a lot about grief. While chatting with Closer Weekly in January 2019, Marie — who is also the proud mom of kids Stephen, 36, Jessica, 32, Rachael, 30, Brandon, 23, Brianna, 22, Matthew, 20, and Abigail, 17 — revealed how you learn to cope with the loss of an irreplaceable family member.
“You keep living. I thought I knew what sorrow was but you don’t ever know until you’ve been through it,” she exclusively confessed at the time. “There’s no joy in sorrow like it says in the Scriptures, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the joy they’re talking about is looking at somebody else who’s been through what I’ve been through and saying, ‘I understand.’ There’s joy in loving other people and saying you know how they feel and that they’re going to get through this, too.”
We’re praying for Vanessa and the rest of Kobe’s family during this unimaginable time.
