Taylor Swift took a moment to hug Kobe Bryant's daughter Bianka during her concert in Los Angeles
Emma McIntyre/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
- Taylor Swift performed her first of six Eras Tour shows at SoFi Stadium on Thursday night.
- While singing "22," Swift traditionally gives her black hat to a fan. This time, it was Bianka Bryant.
- Swift hugged Bianka, daughter of Vanessa and the late Kobe Bryant, before resuming the song.
Taylor Swift shared a sweet moment with Bianka Bryant while performing on Thursday.
During the Eras Tour, while singing the hit single "22," it has become a tradition for Swift to make her way to the end of the runway and give her black bowler hat to a lucky fan.
When Swift kicked off a six-show run at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, she gave her hat to Bianka, the second-youngest daughter of Vanessa and Kobe Bryant.
Swift also took a moment to hug the 6-year-old before resuming the song. Vanessa shared a photo of their embrace on Instagram, writing in the caption, "We love you @taylorswift."
@vanessabryant/Instagram
Swift has a history with the Bryant family. Back in 2015, she shared the stage with Kobe during the 1989 Tour.
Kobe made a surprise appearance at LA's Staples Center (now known as Crypto.com Arena) to present Swift with a championship banner, celebrating her 16 sold-out shows at the venue. Kobe himself called the arena home when he dominated as a shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I think it's important to listen to people who do great things," he said of Swift during a 2019 appearance on "The Jordan Harbinger Show." "Taylor's been at the top of the game for a very, very long time."
The NBA star died in 2020 in a helicopter crash that also killed his 13-year-old daughter, Gigi, and seven other people.
In his final sit-down interview with LA Times sports columnist Arash Markazi, Kobe gushed about Gigi, Bianka (whom he called B.B.), and his two other daughters, Natalia (20), and Capri (3). Vanessa has called him the "MVP of girl dads."
While attending the Eras Tour, Vanessa wore a bedazzled jacket featuring a photo of Swift and Kobe onstage together.