Kobe Bryant’s daughter, Natalia Bryant, has feared for her safety ever since a man started sending her inappropriate and suggestive messages in 2020. Those messages escalated to the man attempting to find her at the University of Southern California campus, where she attends school and is in a sorority.
Natalia was just 17 years old when she first started receiving the messages and is now 19 years old. The man, identified as Dwayne Cortez Toliver Kemp, was 30 years old at the time and is now 32 years old. In an effort to gain her sense of security back, Natalia is now filing for a restraining order against Kemp.
The restraining order is likely to be approved, especially considering the wide amount of support she’s receiving from fellow sorority members, USC faculty, campus police officers, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the USC Department of Public Safety – all of whom are witnesses to the behavior.
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In the filing, Natalia Bryant explains Kemp’s behavior – explaining that he was messaging her as if they were dating. He would send her kissy-face and heart emojis, while also threatening to find her in real life – despite her obvious disinterest. She has never met the individual, but he has tried to meet her twice.
On one occasion, Kemp sent Bryant a social media message that included a photo of her father – NBA Hall of Famer, Kobe Bryant. “Thankful For Him Birthing You, Hopefully We Can Birth Him… ‘Kobe,’” Kemp wrote in the message. Kobe died in a helicopter crash in January 2020, shortly before the stalking began.
The filing expresses how Kemp’s behavior has escalated over time and that Bryant feared it would continue to escalate in the near future. Of the two instances where Kemp tried to physically find Bryant while on campus at USC, the most recent occurred on November 2nd – a little over a month ago.
Fearing for her safety, Natalia Bryant is asking that Kemp be required to stay at least 200 yards away from her at all times – including her home, workplace, school, vehicle, sorority house, and USC campus altogether. The next hearing date for Bryant and Kemp is scheduled for Wednesday, December 14th.
Natalia Bryant Also Fears That Kemp is a Gun Enthusiast
In addition to the unwanted messages and potential for danger down the road, Natalia Bryant expressed her fear over Kemp’s recent social media behavior. The 32-year-old has posted about guns on several occasions and they’re the type of guns that are intended for foul play – not for defending oneself.
Not long after his attempted visit on November 2nd, Kemp posted images of two guns – a Draco and mini-Draco – on his social media. He captioned the photos ‘next,’ implying he had an interest in buying the guns soon. He later revealed his desire to purchase an illegal weapon called the ‘Glock Switch.’
A week later, Kemp posted several videos of himself buying a rifle, which is around the same time he tried to contact her. Combined with his unwanted messages, Natalia Bryant has practical and logical reasons to file a restraining order – especially for someone as young and famous as Bryant, who is beloved by many.
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To make matters even more concerning, Kemp has a criminal history that brings to light the type of individual he is. For example, he has been arrested and/or convicted on four misdemeanor offenses – one of which involved a firearm. We should be learning much more in the coming weeks.