Vanessa Bryant said Kobe once gifted her the notebook and blue dress Rachel McAdams wore in 'The Notebook' for Valentine's Day
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images/The Notebook/Facebook
Vanessa Bryant told crowds at a public memorial service at the Staples Center on Monday that her late husband Kobe was the "romantic one" in their marriage, and that he once bought her the "actual notebook and the blue dress Rachel McAdams wore in 'The Notebook' movie."
"When I asked him why he chose the blue dress, he said it was because it was the scene when Allie comes back to Noah. We had hoped to grow old together like the movie. We really had an amazing love story," Vanessa said.
"The Notebook" costume designer Karyn Wagner later told The Hollywood Reporter: "I started bawling. I'm still drying the tears off my face. What a beautiful eulogy. I'm so honored that I was able to contribute in some small way to the history of this amazing man."
Vanessa Bryant said Kobe once gifted her the iconic notebook and blue dress from "The Notebook" because he hoped they would "grow old together like the movie."
Vanessa told audiences during her emotional eulogy at a public memorial service the Staples Center on Monday that her late husband was the "romantic one" in the marriage and looked forward to their anniversary and Valentine's Day.
"He gifted me the actual notebook and the blue dress Rachel McAdams wore in 'The Notebook' movie," Vanessa said.
Vanessa said Kobe bought her that specific dress from the 2004 movie because Allie Hamilton (McAdams) wore it when she was reunited with love interest Noah (played by Ryan Gosling.)
Allie famously wears the light blue dress during a romantic boat ride with Noah as hundreds of swans float around them. The scene then follows the pair embracing in an affectionate kiss in the rain.
"The Notebook"/New Line Cinema
"When I asked him why he chose the blue dress, he said it was because it was the scene when Allie comes back to Noah. We had hoped to grow old together like the movie. We really had an amazing love story," Vanessa said.
Vanessa's mention of the "The Notebook" dress even caught the attention of its original designer Karyn Wagner, who said she "started bawling."
"I'm still drying the tears off my face. What a beautiful eulogy. I'm so honored that I was able to contribute in some small way to the history of this amazing man," Wagner told The Hollywood Reporter.
The costume designer said she watched a livestream of Bryant's speech and had no idea the family owned the dress she custom-made for the movie.
Michael Tullberg / Getty Images
She suspects Kobe may have bought the props through a connection at the studio or with the filmmakers.
"I had zero idea. When I was finished with the movie, I put the dress in a box and it went into storage," Wagner said.
Vanessa first told fans about Kobe's grand gesture in an Instagram post back in 2013, where she said "The Notebook" props were some of her "favorite" Valentine's Day gifts.
Aside from enjoying "The Notebook," Bryant also said during her speech on Monday that Kobe loved other romantic comedies like "Stepmom," "Steel Magnolias" and "Little Women."
Read more:
How Vanessa Bryant became 'Queen Mamba'
Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna had a private funeral in Orange County last week
Read the original article on Insider