Is the Vanessa Bryant and Jaylen Brown image real? Dating and pregnancy rumors debunked

In June 2025, rumors surfaced on social media platforms that Vanessa Bryant, the widow of late NBA star Kobe Bryant, is pregnant. Subsequently, images of her with a lookalike of pro basketball player Jaylen Brown also emerged online.

The pictures showed Vanessa and Jaylen holding hands in public together while she sported a baby bump. The pregnancy and dating claims garnered severe traction.

However, the now-viral rumors are fake. Neither is Vanessa Bryant pregnant, nor is she in a romantic relationship with Jaylen Brown.

Despite the rumors continuing online, Vanessa denied them in her early June Instagram Stories. Instead of issuing a public statement or official release, the philanthropist and entrepreneur chose to respond with two memes featuring Rihanna.

In one of them, she chose a picture of Riri standing inside a swimming pool with a snorkel mask on her head, holding a drink, and showing her middle finger. The words, “Me protecting my peace, not pregnant & having fun all summer,” were used.

A follow-up Story also depicted Rihanna and had the text, “I’m not mean, I’m just not the one.” Additionally, several media outlets confirmed the images circulating online were deepfakes and AI-generated.

Jaylen Brown, 28, hasn’t responded to the rumors yet.

A’ja Wilson’s brother showed support for Vanessa Bryant

Besides her two meme responses featuring Rihanna, Vanessa Bryant also took to her Instagram Stories in the first week of June and clapped back at trolls.

“The only way to impress me, is by being a good person. I don’t care what you have, what you wear, where you live, or what you drive. I just have deep respect for people with pure hearts and good intentions,” she wrote.

Elsewhere, she made a public appearance the day after taking her social media stand. She attended the New York Liberty vs. Chicago Sky game with her three daughters.

Meanwhile, WNBA player A’ja Wilson’s brother, Renaldo, defended Vanessa Bryant on social media and dismissed the rumors surrounding her and Jaylen Brown.

“5 years is long enough, bro. The only reason why everybody's making a big deal of this is the fact that she was with Kobe. If it was anybody else, nobody would have been saying a word. She's human, just like everybody else,” Renaldo wrote.

For those unaware, Kobe Bryant passed away on January 26, 2020, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, aged 41. His and Vanessa’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others succumbed to the accident. The helicopter crashed due to bad weather. Kobe, Gianna, and his crew were traveling to his Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks for a youth basketball match.

More about Vanessa Bryant

Vanessa Bryant, 43, is a philanthropist and businesswoman. She is the co-founder and leader of the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Foundation, which provides scholarships to minority college students.

She is also the head of Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. Initially founded by Kobe in 2016 as Mamba Sports Foundation to support underprivileged young athletes, it was later renamed by Vanessa in honor of her late husband and daughter.

Vanessa and Kobe Bryant walked down the aisle in April 2001. They shared four daughters: the late Gianna, Natalia, 22, Bianka, 8, and Capri, 5. Natalia is a model and joined the IMG Models agency in 2021.

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Kobe Bryant's family recently celebrated Bobblehead Night with the Los Angeles Dodgers in his memory.

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