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Vanessa Bryant is ending her decade-long marriage to Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, as she filed for divorce on Friday.
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That the couple is divorcing has shocked many because Vanessa Bryant stuck with Kobe Bryant through an allegation of sexual assault in 2003 and his subsequent admission that he had an extramarital affair at that time.
TMZ has reported that Vanessa Bryant cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for divorcing her husband.
Sources told TMZ that Vanessa Bryant has decided to end the marriage because she believes Kobe Bryant has been unfaithful again.
"She's been dealing with these incidents for a long time and has been a faithful wife, but she's finally had enough," a source told TMZ. "This one is the straw that broke the camel's back."
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A source also told TMZ that Kobe Bryant "desperately" wants to win his wife back and save their marriage.
Following the divorce filing in Orange County Superior Court in California, the couple released a joint statement noting that they have "resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately."
"We ask that in the interest of our young children, and in light of the upcoming holiday season, the public respect our privacy during this most difficult time," the couple's statement read, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Vanessa Bryant and her attorney signed the petition on Dec. 1, and Kobe Bryant signed his response on Dec 7. They have both requested joint custody of their daughters Natalia, 8, and Gianna, 5.
Arrest on Suspicion of Rape
Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant met in 1999 when she was 17. She was cast to appear in a music video.
The two married in 2001 and hit a rocky patch in 2003 when Kobe Bryant was arrested on suspicion of raping a Colorado hotel employee. The charge was eventually dropped, and the basketball player denied committing sexual assault. However, he did publicly admit to committing adultery.
Vanessa Bryant issued a statement at the time, noting that she knew her "husband has made a mistake -- the mistake of adultery."
Kobe Bryant gave her a reported $4 million ring after the 2003 scandal.
