Taylor Swift gifts Kobe Bryant's daughter Natalia a cardigan for new 'Folklore' release
Taylor Swift has some serious fans in the Bryant household.
The singer, 30, gifted Kobe Bryant’s 17-year-old daughter Natalia Bryant with a cozy cardigan sweater in honor of the release of her latest album, Folklore. The wardrobe staple is a replica of the one Swift wears in the video for “Cardigan,” one of her songs off the new album, which has sold more than 1.3 million copies across the world in just 24 hours, a representative for Republic Records told Variety.
“Thank You Taylor Swift #Cardigan,” Natalia’s mom, Vanessa Bryant, wrote on her Instagram Story, along with various heart emojis thrown in. In the photo, her smiling daughter holds up the cream-colored cable-knit sweater as she smiles for the camera.
The teen told Swift she was “obsessed” with the new album, which Swift has promoted by sending sweaters to the likes of stars like Jonathan Van Ness and Jennifer Hudson. Embroidered with light gray stars on the elbows and featuring title patches on the front, the piece is for sale along with the digital album on Swift’s personal website for $49.
The Bryant family has long been supporters of Swift and her music. Back in 2015, Kobe joined Swift onstage at the Staples Center for the Los Angeles stop of her “1989” world tour.
In 2018, Swift welcomed the Bryant family backstage during the Pasadena stop of her “Reputation” tour. The singer even posed for several photos with Natalia and younger sister Gianna, also known as Gigi.
📷 | Kobe Bryant’s family meeting Taylor after she got off stage last night via Vanessa Bryant’s Instagram #repTourPasadena pic.twitter.com/pAa1awV2jb
— Taylor Swift News (@TSwiftNZ) May 20, 2018
Upon learning of the deaths of Kobe Bryant and 13-year-old daughter Gigi in a helicopter crash back in January, Swift took to Twitter to express her grief.
"My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy," she tweeted at the time. "I can't fathom what the families are going through.
"Kobe meant so much to me and to us all," she continued. "Sending my prayers, love and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight."
My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy. I can’t fathom what the families are going through. Kobe meant so much to me and to us all. Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight.
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) January 26, 2020
Like her daughter, Vanessa Bryant has also been a longtime fan of pop culture. During the February memorial for her late husband, she revealed that he bought her a blue dress worn by Rachel McAdams in the 2004 film The Notebook, a favorite of both Vanessa and Kobe. Vanessa is also the owner of the vintage green tulle-skirted dress worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the final episode of Sex and the City, when Mr. Big arrives in Paris to win her back.
“I love you my baby,” Vanessa wrote in an Instagram post, which contrasted Parker’s 2004 scene and the real-life gown at the Bryant home. “I found this beautiful dress Kobe gifted me a long time ago. Not going to lie, I was taken aback with emotion. He was SO romantic. Still showing me he loves me from heaven.”
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
Celebrities honor TV 'legend' Regis Philbin, who died of natural causes: 'The ultimate class act'
Elon Musk says Grimes 'has a much bigger role than me' in parenting their newborn son
A fine madness: Taylor Swift goes inward, and indie, on quarantine classic 'Folklore'