In a statement released after the allegation surfaced, Vanessa stood by Kobe and said she trusted he would make amends to their marriage.
"I know that my husband has made a mistake, the mistake of adultery,'' she said in the rare statement. "He and I will have to deal with that within our marriage, and we will do so. He is not a criminal.''
The Lakers guard held a July 2003 press conference in the Staples Center, where he admitted to infidelity but insisted that it was a consensual sexual encounter. As he spoke, Vanessa was at his side holding his hand.
"I sit here in front of you guys furious at myself, disgusted at myself for making the mistake of adultery," he said. "I love my wife with all my heart. She's my backbone."
The woman didn't testify, and prosecutors dropped the case in September 2004. The two parties settled a civil suit out of court for an undisclosed amount on March 2, 2005.