Kobe Bryant and Gianna mural vandalized with ‘rapist’ — for second time in a week

A mural in Austin paying tribute to Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna was defaced for the second time after its unveiling.

The mural, created by Texas-based graffiti artists Felix Jaimes, known as Snuk One; Josue Rivera, who goes by Laced and Found; and Riki Loring, was first shown to the public on Jan. 30. Between Thursday evening and Friday morning, someone had spray-painted “rapist” on the piece.

Jaimes told McClatchy News that they were able to paint over it.

“There was already people there,” Jaimes said. “It was sad seeing their faces, because there were kids and families there that wanted to take photos with it. And to come up to the wall to see everybody really bummed out, that hurt even more.”

The mural was vandalized again the afternoon of Feb. 1, Jaimes told McClatchy News. Someone had written “rapist” between Bryant’s eyes.

“Fortunately there were other people there to put a stop to it,” Jaimes said. “The woman wrote with a Sharpie and a fan was able to wipe it off.”

Even though the word has been removed, there was a “faint outline that can be seen,” according to CBS Austin.

Jaimes said they were able to figure out the identity of the woman but “are not currently seeking damages to the mural.”

Bryant and Gianna were among the nine people who died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26 in Calabasas, California, McClatchy News previously reported.

Bryant was charged in 2003 for sexually assaulting a woman, but prosecutors dropped the case because his accuser wasn’t willing to testify, The New York Times reported. The woman later filed a lawsuit against Bryant that resulted in a settlement.

This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 2:18 PM with the headline "Kobe Bryant and Gianna mural vandalized with ‘rapist’ — for second time in a week."