Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Divorce
Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant reacts along with his wife Vanessa and their two daughters -- Natalia, right, and Gianna -- as they watch the Los Angeles Galaxy play against the San Jose Earthquakes in a Major League Soccer game in Carson, Calif., on April 3, 2008. Vanessa Bryant filed for divorce from Kobe Bryant on Friday. Reuters

Vanessa Bryant is ending her decade-long marriage to Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, as she filed for divorce on Friday.

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.

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.

No Prenup

According to the Los Angeles Times, Vanessa Bryant's mother has said that the couple didn't sign a prenuptial agreement, as they decided not to do so after months of negotiations.

She just came home one day and said something to the effect that Kobe didn't want a prenup, that he loved her too much, Sofia Urbieta Laine told the Times in a 2005 interview.

With no prenup, that would mean Vanessa Bryant, 29, is entitled to half of Kobe Bryant's fortune.

CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell has estimated that Kobe Bryant is worth a whopping $360 million.

TMZ reported that Vanessa Bryant is also asking for spousal support and that Kobe Bryant has said he will pay her spousal support.

A final judgment in the case is expected sometime next year, representatives of the couple told the Times.

You can read the filings here.

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