Stephen Laine | Relationship And Parents

As the late Kobe Bryant’s wife Vanessa Bryant’s stepfather, Stephen Laine is well-known. In 1990, he wed Sofia Lane, the mother of Vanessa.

Ever since his stepson Vanessa began dating Kobe, Stephen has been in the spotlight. Due to the controversies surrounding his relationship with Kobe and Vanessa, he was frequently featured in the news.

Stephen Laine’s Bio on Wiki

He was born in California on April 30, 1960, and as of 2022, he is 62 years old. He is of Finnish and Estonian descent and holds American citizenship.

Following his stepdaughter Vanessa’s marriage to the late NBA great Kobe, Stephen rose to fame. There isn’t a lot of information available about his parents and siblings because he is a private person.

In addition, Stephen is a Huntington Beach, California, native who attended Marina High School. He was born and raised primarily in the state of California.

What Makes Stephen Laine Well-Known?

As we previously discussed, Stephen rose to fame following Vanessa’s relationship with Kobe. He was just an ordinary American till then. He was married to Vanessa’s mother, Sofia, in 1990, even though she was eight years his senior.

In some way, Stephen’s life took a permanent turn after he married Sofia. He adopted her from her first marriage and gave them both her surname.

The Relationship Between Sofia Laine And Stephen Laine

It was when she started working at an electronics company that the two first got together. Stephen had been a middle manager in the corporation, while Sofia had been a shipping clerk. Sofia was a single mother at the time, residing in her sister’s spare room.

The two eventually became enamored with one another, and in a modest ceremony in 1990, they exchanged vows. While her older sister was eleven years old, Vanessa was eight years old when they were married.

The daughters of Sofia used to go by the last name of her first husband, Cornejo, prior to their marriage.

The couple declared bankruptcy.

The couple never seemed to be able to get ahead financially, even atbeforert of their partnership. Everything fell apart after years of accruing debt, and they declared bankruptcy.

Interestingly, they declared bankruptcy barely a week after Kobe and Vanessa’s breakup.

Sofia and Stephen divorced because he allegedly cheated on her.

Between the two, everything was going great, but as soon as bankruptcy entered the picture, everything became worse. In July 2002, Sofia filed for divorce following her revelation that Stephen was having an extramarital affair.

“In June 2002, I learned that Stephen was involved in another relationship,” Sofia wrote in the divorce papers. We parted ways.

As a result, the couple split up that same month, and their divorce was finally granted a few months later. According to reports, Stephen was residing with the same woman he had an affair with Sofia. Furthermore, it was reported by a few tabloids that Laine held Kobe responsible for their breakup.

Speaking about support, Sofia demands that Stephen give her a monthly payment since she believes that her daughter Vanessa and Kobe would not assist her financially. However, Kobe just gifted his mother-in-law a $120,000 retirement fund, a $90,000 Mercedes-Benz, and $50,000 worth of furnishings. In the end, he was mandated to provide $1800 monthly in support.

The Relationship Between Stephen Laine and Step-Daughter Vanessa Bryant: Ups and Downs

At first, there was no problem between the two. Vanessa’s mom had recently passed away, and Stephen had recently taken in her daughters from a previous marriage. They even took on his last name, which said a lot about their connection.

Laine was also one of the few guests who attended Kobe and Vanessa’s wedding. He recalled Vanessa as a kind small child in an old interview.

Still, over time, their relationship began to erode gradually. It was all related to the monthly spousal support that Stephen had to provide for Sofia. Kobe was the first to confront Vanessa when she filed for divorce from him in 2011 after ten years of marriage.

He claimed, “Her mother taught her well to wait for the 10-year mark [before divorcing],” in a long statement to TMZ. It’s seen as a long-term marriage in California, and she receives payment for the rest of her life or until she remarries, much like her mother does with me. They obviously don’t need the $1,800 that I have to give her mother each month.

Nevertheless, Stephen expressed his condolences to her and told The Sun, “I just found out and can’t say much, just that I wish the family well,” after Kobe and his daughter Gianna perished in a helicopter crash in 2020. Gianna also passed away, I recently learned on the news. It’s awful. My thoughts are with Vanessa and the children.

What’s Stephen Laine Up To These Days? Does He Have a Wife?

In 2011, Stephen was employed by a food firm as an inventory manager. He has been living a life away from the media’s scrutiny for a while, so nobody is able to find out what he is doing at the moment.

Conversely, Stephen is a married individual. It appears that he got married to tcan woman he cheated on Sofia with. In addition, he disclosed in 2011 that he is the father of a six-year-old girl.

Stephen Laine Image

The man is incredibly private; in fact, not a single photo exists of him. The images of him that have been uploaded on any website are all false and counterfeit.

We are unable to determine his exact net worth because he avoids discussing his career in public.

Also Read, Erica Lindbeck, Johnny Fratto, and Jaye Sousoures.