On February 11, Vanessa Bryant announced that her family’s dog, Crucio — named after a “Harry Potter” spell — had died. In a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram to her and late husband Kobe Bryant’s black Labrador retriever, Vanessa posted a carousel of photographs that featured Crucio wearing different bandanas throughout the years.
“We love you, Crucio. Thank you for everything sweet boy,” Vanessa captioned the post. “Thank you for watching over us. We’re going to miss you.” She also added the hashtags “#GoodBoy” and “RestEasy.”
Shortly after the announcement was posted, Vanessa received an outpouring of love and condolences from friends, including Ciara, Kris Jenner, Kyle Richards, and Lily Collins, who wrote, “We’re sending you so so much love.” Vanessa’s eldest daughter, Natalia Bryant, also paid tribute to the furry friend on her Instagram, calling Crucio “the best dog I could have ever asked for” and said that he’d “be forever missed.”
The Bryant family have always been dog people. Kobe previously owned a black and white Pomeranian named Gucci, per Bleacher Report, whereas Vanessa welcomed a mini pit bull into their family in mid-2020.
