According to the lawsuit, authorities were alerted to the existence of the images after a witness at the bar filed an online complaint to the sheriff’s department. The suit also alleged that when Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva found out about the photos, he ordered deputies to delete them and assured there’d be no further disciplinary actions taken so long as everyone complied.
Vanessa is seeking damages for emotional distress over the photos.
In November, a U.S. magistrate judge ordered Vanessa and her therapist to turn over documents related to her treatment before and after the crash as part of her claim.
In a statement at the time, Skip Miller, partner of the Miller Barondess law firm and outside counsel for L.A. County, told E! News, “The County continues to have nothing but the deepest sympathy for the enormous grief Ms. Bryant suffered as a result of the tragic helicopter accident. Our motion for access to her medical records, however, is a standard request in lawsuits where a plaintiff demands millions of dollars for claims of emotional distress. I have an obligation to take this step to defend the County.”