Vanessa Bryant against venue change in helicopter lawsuit

Vanessa Bryant's court case against Island Express Helicopters and the estate for pilot Ara Zobayan may be moved to a different venue. 

Bryant, though, is arguing that the court should reject the requested change in her wrongful death lawsuit, claiming her husband's legacy expands far past the borders of Los Angeles, according to TMZ Sports.

Island Express Helicopters and the estate for Zobayan had asked the court to move the case from L.A. to Orange County because they couldn't get a fair trial in the city where Kobe Bryant played in the NBA for 20 years.

Vanessa now says she lawfully selected L.A. as her venue because that's where the Jan. 26 helicopter crash occurred. She also points out that her family has lived in Orange County for about 20 years and that her husband is loved around the globe, so it really doesn't matter where you move the court case to. 

"Defendant fails to acknowledge the extent to which Kobe Bryant’s legacy penetrates American culture," Vanessa's attorney states in new court docs obtained by TMZ Sports.

"There is no county line at which Kobe Bryant’s celebrity suddenly evaporates. Public esteem for Kobe Bryant is a fact of American life."

Vanessa is right about her husband's popularity. After his death, tributes were erected all over the world. A massive Bryant mural went up in Bosnia and Herzegovina and people also made tributes to Bryant in Italy and Japan. 

Vanessa filed the wrongful death lawsuit against the helicopter company and Zobayan's estate in February following the death of her husband and daughter. She claims that Zobayan was careless and negligent by flying in cloudy conditions on the day all passengers aboard the aircraft were killed.

She also states that she is "entitled" to hundreds of millions in future lost earnings as a result of the Los Angeles Lakers legend's death.

Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Calif. in January. All passengers on board the flight died instantly upon impact, according to newly revealed details.