Celebs

Vanessa Bryant Gifts Kobe Bryant’s Sister Sharia Washington A New Tesla

Roommates, one of the best feelings is knowing your family has your back no matter what! This also goes for families built through love and marriages. Recently, Vanessa Bryant demonstrated her love for and commitment to her late husband Kobe Bryant’s family. Vanessa surprised her sister-in-law Sharia Washington with a brand new Tesla vehicle.

Both Vanessa and Sharia took a moment to share the news, along with photos, to their official Instagram accounts. In one photo, the two are seen embracing each other, while posing in front of the new vehicle. The Tesla is white in color and was adorned with a huge, red bow on the hood.

“Surprise,” Vanessa wrote and tagged Sharia’s Instagram page. “We love you!!! Tesla Tunnel, here she comes!! Vegas to Cali.”

Vanessa’s post also included a 39-seconds clip that showed both ladies interacting with each other and the car. At the beginning of the video, Sharia and Vanessa are seen walking towards the driver’s side of the Tesla. Sharia appears to be overcome with emotions and barely able to complete her sentences.

“I can’t,” Sharia is heard saying in the video. “I’m done. I can’t take it.”

Sharia wiped away tears mid-sentence. Then, both women are seen talking face-to-face. Sharia covered her mouth with her hands in what seems to be shock, while Vanessa wiped away tears. Vanessa then opened the driver’s door to encourage Sharia to climb inside her new Tessie!

“Oh my god, I need to do the whole tutorial,” Sharia said while still visibly emotional in the driver’s seat.

Sharia also took to her Instagram to pen a thank note to her sister-in-law.

“OMG! So this happened today,” Sharia wrote in her caption. “Thank you so much V! Im still speechless! This is absolutely amazing Love you!!”
As you may already know, Tesla vehicles can cost anywhere between $40,000 to $150,000, according to Business Insider.

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Cassandra Santiago

Cassandra Santiago is a multimedia journalist, editor, and editorial strategist with over a decade of experience shaping conversations across arts, entertainment, culture, and global news. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she has built a cross-platform career spanning newspapers, magazines, radio, and digital media. She joined The Shade Room five years ago and currently serves as a Senior Editor, where she leads editorial direction, oversees exclusive coverage, and trains and edits a team of writers. Cassandra has played a key role in developing high-impact content and editorial strategies for an audience of more than 30 million, contributing to platform growth, engagement, and monetization across multiple channels. In addition to her leadership role, she remains a daily contributor, with her articles generating more than 41 million views since 2023. Beyond The Shade Room, Cassandra offers freelance social media strategy services, speaks on the influence and impact of Black media at public panels, and owns Did It For You, an event design company in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. She is Poynter Institute–certified and was named to the DMV’s 35 Under 35 list in 2024.

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