Vanessa Bryant has finally responded to Evan Rachel Wood after she called her late husband Kobe a "rapist".

She said that Wood's decision to call Kobe a rapist on the day he died in a helicopter crash with his teenage daughter was "vile" and "disturbing".

Taking to Instagram on January 27, 2020, the Westworld actress, 33, wrote in a now-deleted tweet: "What has happened is tragic. I am heartbroken for Kobe's family. He was a sports hero. He was also a rapist. And all of these truths can exist simultaneously."

Credit: PA Images

However, despite the post being made over a year ago, Vanessa explained on her Instagram story on Saturday (February 27) that it has only come to her attention recently.

Over a screenshot of the original tweet, she wrote: "Your false, insensitive, defamatory and slanderous tweet on 1/26/20 is vile and disturbing to say the least.

"Behavior like this is part of the reason why innocent black men go to jail for crimes they didn't commit. An accusation doesn't make someone guilty.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THE FACTS OF THE CASE."

The 38-year-old widow also directed the same message to Abigail Disney, who tweeted at the time: "The man was a rapist. Deal with it."

Credit: Instagram / Vanessa Bryant

As per news.com.au, Kobe was accused of sexual assault in 2003 by a 19-year-old hotel employee in Colorado.

The case was ultimately dropped by prosecutors after she refused to testify and instead brought a civil case against the Los Angeles Laker, which was settled out of court in 2005.

Credit: PA Images

This incident comes after Wood named her alleged abuser, singer Marily Manson, earlier this month.

"He started grooming me when I was a teenager and horrifically abused me for years," she claimed.

"I was brainwashed and manipulated into submission. I am done living in fear of retaliation, slander, or blackmail. I am here to expose this dangerous man and call out the many industries that have enabled him, before he ruins any more lives. I stand with the many victims who will no longer be silent."

Wood's allegations prompted a number of other women to accuse the rock singer of abuse, and he was subsequently dropped by his record label and manager.

On Sunday, the world was rocked by the news that LA Lakers legend Kobe Bryant has passed away in a helicopter crash along with eight other people, one of whom was his 13-year-old daughter Gianna.

Since the devastating news hit, tributes have flooded in for the former NBA star - from good friend Shaquille O'Neal to TV host Ellen DeGeneres.

Kobe's LA Lakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal breaks down in touching tribute:

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However, there have also been several people online who are using Bryant's passing as a reminder of the sexual assault allegations the basketball star was faced with back in the early 2000s.

Earlier this week, Washington Post reporter Felicia Sonmez was met with fierce backlash after tweeting a link to a 2016 Daily Beast Article, entitled: 'Kobe Bryant's Disturbing Rape Case: The DNA Evidence, The Accuser's Story, and the Half-Confession'.

Now, Walt Disney's great-niece, Abigail Disney, has been met with similar fury after labeling the late LA Laker's star "a rapist" just days after his death.

Writing to her 58,000+ followers, the Disney heiress wrote:

"I haven’t said anything about Kobe so far because I felt some time needed to pass before weighing in. But yes, it’s time for the sledgehammer to come out. The man was a rapist. Deal with it."

The Emmy Award-winning filmaker accompanied her tweet with a link to an opinion piece in the Washington Post titled, "Remember Kobe Bryant required the hammer of truth".

Within the article, columnist David Von Drehle details the aftermath of Bryant's death and how his colleague, Felicia Sonmez, was suspended for tweeting about the basketball legend's past allegations.

Von Drehle writes: "After the crash, she swung a 20-pound sledgehammer at the Bryant story, tweeting a link to a detailed report of the highly credible rape accusation lodged against the hard-court hero in 2003.

"When I say 'highly credible,' I mean that Bryant himself admitted that he engaged in rough sex with his accuser, choked her so violently that she had bruises on her jawline and left her with multiple lacerations."

David also acknowledged that Felicia was reinstated by The Post on Tuesday.

In response to Disney's tweet, there were several Twitter users who supported her decision to share the story, and thanked her for doing so:

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However, there were also many people who found the tweet to be in poor taste and hit out at Disney.

Twitter user Cindy Barr replied to Disney, saying: "This is unfair and not ok. Feel how you will about him but his wife lost her husband, his daughters lost their father. If you must go down this road, educate yourself fully on that situation first, you just may feel a bit differently."

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And another tweeted: "Your opinion is your opinion. Find the smallest ounce of dignity you can find in that cold heart of yours & show respect to his grieving family. Now is NOT the time for this. If for no one else, be a decent human being for his children who are suffering. STOP"

Regarding the assault claims, Bryant, who was married at the time, admitted to having an adulterous encounter with the woman but said that he believed it was consensual, but could see how the woman did not "view the incident the same way". Bryant stated in 2004:

"Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter."

The Washington Post has allegedly suspended reporter Felicia Sonmez, who posted a link to an article on rape allegations made against Kobe Bryant, the New York Times has reported.

NBA All-Star Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven other people, was accused of sexual assault back in 2003 by a hotel employee in Colorado. The charges were dropped in 2005, and Bryant settled with his accuser out of court.

In the wake of tributes and commemorations to the life of the basketball player, Sonmez posted a link to a 2016 Daily Beast Article, entitled: 'Kobe Bryant's Disturbing Rape Case: The DNA Evidence, The Accuser's Story, and the Half-Confession.'

News of the tragic crash was broken late on Sunday evening: 

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Sonmez's tweet immediately incurred a furious backlash from other Twitter users, many of whom were outraged that she had brought up the case in wake of his passing.

Responding to her critics, Sonmez tweeted: "Well, THAT was eye-opening. To the 10,000 people (literally) who have commented and emailed me with abuse and death threats, please take a moment and read the story — which was written (more than three) years ago, and not by me. [sic]"

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Sonmez received an email from executive editor of The Washington Post Martin Baron, at 5.38 PM on Monday, January 27, in which she was told she would be placed on administrative leave.

Per The New York Times, the publications managing editor Tracy Grant stated: "National political reporter Felicia Sonmez was placed on administrative leave while The Post reviews whether tweets about the death of Kobe Bryant violated the Post newsroom’s social media policy. The tweets displayed poor judgment that undermined the work of her colleagues. [sic]"

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However, many other journalists have rushed to the defense of Sonmez. NewsGuild wrote an open letter to The Post's editorial staff, which was signed by more than 200 staff members and reporters.

The letter reads: "Felicia received an onslaught of violent messages, including threats that contained her home address, in the wake of a tweet Sunday regarding Kobe Bryant. Instead of protecting and supporting a reporter in the face of abuse, The Post placed her on administrative leave while newsroom leaders review whether she violated the social media policy."

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Per The New York Times, Sonmez herself stated in a later interview: "I expected to get some blowback. I can understand that it would be difficult for people to read that, but it’s also difficult, I imagine, for all of the survivors in the country to see these allegations essentially be erased, which is how I felt in those couple of hours in the newsroom."

Teen Mom fans slammed star Cory Wharton as "gross" for posing at Kobe Bryant’s crash site and sharing the images on social media.

The 30-year-old was accused of visiting the heartbreaking memorial site just to earn himself some "likes/views".

LA Lakers legend Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others were tragically killed in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020.

They had been traveling to Kobe's Mamba Academy for a practice session when the helicopter came down in foggy conditions.

Now, the reality star has shared photos and videos of his "nice morning hike" at the crash site - leaving fans furious

Cory, along with his girlfriend Taylor Selfridge and their 1-year-old daughter, Mila, posed in the same exact field Bryant's helicopter crashed last year.

In honor of the late basketball star, Cory donned a number eight Lakers jersey as he carried his daughter strapped to his chest up the mountain toward the location of the crash.

After making their way there, they learned there was a whole memorial set up with hats, flowers, and other mementos from fans to show their love for the deceased.

Cory quickly noted that he "should've brought flowers".

His Instagram posts quickly began to trend on Reddit, with many social media users slamming the reality star for his actions.

"This is f**king gross," one upset fan wrote on Reddit, before another added: "Very odd, and to document on IG is even stranger."

A third added: "Issa no for me. Cory’s a weird one."

Others called it "sad" that he would post these pictures on social media for "likes and views" and called his expedition "morbid" and a "bit strange."

Cory also share a video from the crash site where he talked about the event and those involved, captioning it: "Disclaimer: If I say anything that is incorrect sry, heart goes out to all the family affected."

Later, he shared smiling photos of himself and his daughter posing at the site, in front of the memorial.

"Today we got a chance to go on a hike and visit Kobe crash site," he wrote alongside the images. "You know we had to pay our homage though to the Black Mamba."

Credit: Newscom / Alamy

Fans blasted the reality star for the photos, calling it "poor taste" and "completely wrong" to pose for such happy shots at a somber location.

After seeing the criticism his post sparked, Cory took to Twitter to issue a response.

"Y'all really are sensitive uh??? If I breathe wrong y’all let me know like dammmm let me be me s**ttttt."

Featured image credit: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy

NBA legend Kobe Bryant has died at the age of 41 in a helicopter crash which reportedly tragically claimed the lives of another nine people, one of whom was his own daughter.

Bryant was widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time, with the distinction of making 18 All-Star teams during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a first-round pick in the 1996 draft, winning five NBA championships, two NBA Finals MVPs and he was the league MVP in 2008.

A number of other prominent NBA players have reacted to the news: 

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Per Variety, the NBA legend was traveling in his private helicopter, which crashed in Calabasas in the state of California on Sunday morning.

According to TMZ, Kobe and his daughter Gianna were on their way to the Mamba Academy for basketball practice in nearby Thousand Oaks when the tragic accident occurred.

Dwayne Wade reacted to the news in this emotional Instagram video:

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Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances of the crash. In the meantime, tributes to the sporting legend have poured in from fans on social media.

Not only this but now attention has been drawn to the last ever tweet ever made by Bryant, which appears to be his sincere congratulations to Lebron James for passing him on all-time NBA scoring list.

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On January 26, 2020, at 3.39 AM, Bryant wrote: "Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother [sic]" He also added a muscle emoji and the hashtag "#33644" - which was the number of points needed for James to become the third-leading scorer. 

Bryant also shared his congratulations on his official Instagram account, writing: "On to #2 @kingjames! Keep growing the game and charting the path for the next. [sic]"

Our thoughts are with the late athlete's family and friends during this difficult time.