Who Is Katelyn Faber Kobe Bryants Rape Accuser and Where Is She Now?

Publish date: 2024-06-03

Katelyn Faber is a former contestant on the American Idol TV show who came into the limelight when she accused the late professional basketball player, Kobe Bryant, of sexual assault in 2003. She alleged that Kobe had forced himself upon her at the Cordillera Hotel. Subsequently, in 2004, Faber, recognized as Bryant’s alleged assault victim, received a significant settlement upon filing a civil lawsuit.

The tragic death of Kobe Bryant in 2020 caused a whole lot of anguish for his family members and fans all over the globe. It also led to an outpouring of tributes for a man who was not only one of the greatest basketball players ever but also touched humanity with his philanthropic endeavors. It was indeed an emotional time but one past incident threatened to dent Bryant’s pristine reputation and that was the rape allegation against him.

Kobe Bryant is alleged to have raped a college student-cum-hotel worker, Katelyn Faber, back in 2003. The NBA star was looking at serious jail time but he never made it to trial as the victim decided to drop the criminal case.

As you can imagine, the whole saga generated major media buzz – given that Bryant was a celebrity. The victim was hounded and stalked, all of which played a part in her decision to withdraw the case. Katlyn Faber has since stayed away from the spotlight but her name often gets dragged back into it in connection with Bryant’s.

Summary of Katelyn Faber’s Bio

Katelyn Faber is a Native of Colorado and Reportedly Hails From a Wealthy Family

Katelyn Faber was born on the 18th day of June in 1985. She has American nationality and is of Caucasian ethnicity. Her father’s name is Paul Louis Faber while her mother’s name is Kristine Anne Faber. Not that many details abound about Katelyn’s family but sources have it that they are quite wealthy.

The young lady, therefore, grew up in a comfortable background in the town of Gypsum, Colorado. For her education, Katelyn Faber attended Eagle Valley Senior High School. She finished her diploma in good time and thereafter enrolled for a degree at the University of Northern Colorado.

She is Talented Musically and Once Auditioned For American Idol

While studying in college, Katelyn Faber kept quite busy. She was talented at singing and auditioned for the popular musical talent show, American Idol. She sang the country song, Forgive, but did not go far in the competition. As a college student, Katelyn also took up part-time work as a front desk staff at the Cordillera Hotel in Edwards, Colorado. It was during the course of her work that she met Kobe Bryant and he allegedly raped her.

Katelyn Faber and Kobe Bryant Crossed Paths While She Was Working at a Colorado Hotel in 2003

Faber and Kobe Bryant may differ on what exactly transpired between them but one thing that is for sure is that they first encountered each other on the 30th day of June 2003. At that time, Kobe Bryant was already a well-known basketball star with about three NBA championships to his name. Katelyn, on the other hand, was just a college student trying to make ends meet by working as a front desk officer at a hotel.

She was therefore quite excited when she was informed that the NBA star and two of his companions would be lodging into their hotel on the 30th of June 2003. Bryant was coming to the city for knee surgery and Katelyn duly received him around 9:45 pm that same day.

According to her version of events, she showed him to his room and he privately requested that she come back in about 15 minutes so that she could give him a tour of the resorts’ facilities. She agreed and returned as planned. She proceeded to give him a tour of their spa, exercise room, outdoor pool, and the likes before they returned to his room.

She Alleged that the NBA Star Raped Her in His Room on the 30th of June 2003

Going by Katelyn Faber’s account, when she and Bryant returned to his hotel room, they talked for a bit before he asked her to open the Jacuzzi for him. She informed him that her shift was over and that she wanted to go home.

The NBA star then tried to convince her to come back to his room in the next 15 minutes. She agreed as a means of getting away from the room but when she stood up to leave, he allegedly started kissing and hugging her. She consented to this part but when he got more serious, she started looking for a way to leave.

According to Faber, while Bryant groped her and removed his clothes, she told him that she wanted to leave. He however did not say anything but continued what he was doing. His gropes and touches later got rough and she attempted to back away and move towards the door.

He however put his body between her and the door and continued to grope her and grab her neck roughly. Faber alleges that Bryant physically forced her to the side of a couch where he bent her over and proceeded to have sex with her.

During this time, she allegedly told him “No” a couple of times but he overlooked her pleas. He later sought her reassurances that she was not going to tell anybody. He then let her go after making her fix her hair and face.

Kobe Bryant Rejected These Allegations and Maintained That What He Had with Faber Was Consensual

Going by her own accounts, Katelyn Faber initially planned to lick her wounds in private and put what had transpired behind her. A pal however convinced her to take action and she reported the sexual assault to the police the next day. She then underwent a medical examination which confirmed that she had vaginal lacerations that were consistent with sexual assault. Armed with these facts, the local police authorities confronted Kobe Bryant on the 2nd day of July 2003.

The NBA star initially denied ever having done anything with Katelyn Faber. He stated that they only talked for some minutes in his room and nothing else. The officers proceeded to inform Bryant that Faber had accused him of sexual assault and that she had undergone a physical exam that had yielded blood and semen samples.

It was at this stage that the basketball player fessed up to what had happened. He admitted that they had sex but maintained that it was entirely consensual.

According to Bryant’s version of events, when he and Faber got back to his room after taking a walk, she showed him her back tattoo. She then kissed him and he kissed her back. They eventually went on to have intercourse during which Faber performed oral sex on him.

The NBA star was queried about the red bruises on Faber’s neck and he stated that he liked grabbing people by the neck during sex. He then went ahead to muse that he should have used money or cars to keep Faber quiet just like some of his fellow NBA stars do with the girls they sleep with.

Kobe Bryant’s Defense Team Questioned Katelyn Faber’s Mental State and Made Her out to Be a Promiscuous Woman

Once the police became involved, the whole rape saga became public knowledge. Various news outlets carried the story and Faber shielded herself from the spotlight. Kobe Bryant, on his own part, tried to live his life as normal as possible.

Upon his arrest and release on bond on the 4th of July 2003, he returned to Los Angeles and continued training with his team. He then issued a statement to the L.A. Times on the 12th of July 2003. He maintained that everything would be fine as he would never do something like that.

Four days later, on the 16th of July 2003, Kobe Bryant walked the red carpet at the ESPY Awards with his wife, Vanessa. The player was trying to keep up appearances of normalcy but he received a major shock when the Colorado authorities charged him with sexual assault and false imprisonment on the 18th of July 2003.

The decision aggrieved him and he held a press conference that same day. With his wife by his side, Kobe Bryant maintained that he was innocent and that he never forced Katelyn to do anything against her will.

He also stated that the only thing he was guilty of was adultery and that he was furious with himself for that. Despite these protestations of innocence, the Colorado authorities decided to carry on with the preliminary hearings for the criminal trial. The prosecutors tried to make out their case as clearly as possible.

Bryant’s defense lawyers also tried to throw a spanner in their works. One of their main strategies was undermining Katelyn Faber’s credibility. They alleged that she had slept with other men immediately before and after her encounter with Bryant.

They painted her as some sort of promiscuous woman and pointed out that her vagina lacerations could have been a result of her multiple sexual activities. Kobe Bryant’s lawyers did not stop at this juncture. They also queried Katelyn Faber’s mental state.

They made a big deal of a report that she had been hospitalized some months prior to the assault. The young lady reportedly tried to commit suicide twice with police determining that she was a danger to herself when they visited her dorm.

Katelyn Faber Eventually Dropped the Criminal Case in September 2003

The publicity surrounding the pretrial took a predictable toll on Katelyn Faber. Even though victims of sexual assault are entitled to anonymity under the law, her identity was licked and many people jumped on it. She received many death threats and hate mails. A large number of Bryant’s fans and African Americans saw her as some sort of whore who was out to bring him down with her false allegations. Katelyn Faber also endured several ugly speculations in the tabloids.

One of her friends named Laie Weatherwax claimed that Faber had a long-term plan to trick a celebrity into bed and force him to pay up. In an interview with Globe America, Laie alleged that Katelyn was obsessed with Eminem and had plotted to bed him when he was in Colorado for a New Year’s Eve Show. According to her, Katelyn asked around for Eminem’s room number from a friend of hers who worked at the hotel where he was staying.

Such testimony would have obviously helped Bryant and so his lawyers contracted Laie to testify for him. Katelyn’s lawyers, on the other hand, dismissed Laie as someone who was looking for her 15 minutes of fame. Laie eventually did not get to testify in court as Katlyn Faber decided not to go ahead with the criminal case. The pressure and public scrutiny had gotten too unbearable for her and so she decided to walk away.

She Received Financial Compensation in a Civil Case, as well as an Apology From Bryant

After withdrawing the criminal case against Kobe Bryant, Faber forged on with the civil case that she had instituted against him in August 2004. She stated that the basketballer’s actions had caused her lingering emotional and physical problems.

She also stated that she had been subjected to public scorn, hatred, and ridicule as a result of the rape. She then went ahead to ask for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. The civil case lingered on for seven months during which some revelations about Faber emerged.

One of her ex-pals named Sean Holloway testified that Faber had planned to sue Bryant in civil court about a month after the assault and that her plan was to use the money and get breast surgery for her and her friends.

Holloway also alleged that Faber planned to buy a koala bear for another friend and then open a recording studio for her singing dreams. These revelations cast doubts on Faber’s intentions but at the end of the day, her civil suit succeeded.

The rape case between Katelyn Faber and Kobe Bryant was finally settled in March 2005 with the basketball star asked to pay his accuser a lump sum. The exact amount is not known but some quarters speculate that the amount could have been as much as $2.5 million.

Asides from the monetary compensation, Kobe Bryant also issued an extensive apology to Katelyn Faber. The apology was read out in court when the criminal case was dismissed. In his apology, the Lakers’ star restated his belief that the encounter was consensual.

He however accepted that Faber did not have a similar mindset and went on to apologize to her for what happened that night. He regretted the pain and the consequences she had endured. He then apologized to her family members and parents. Bryant also went on to apologize to his own family, friends, supporters, and the entire people of Colorado.

The Scandal Cost Kobe Bryant Endorsements and Popular Support But He Was Able To Bounce Back

The whole sexual assault saga initially affected Kobe Bryant’s career. Prior to 2003, he was one of the biggest stars in the NBA and had the second biggest endorsement portfolio in the league after LeBron James. The whole scandal however cost him deals with the likes of Nutella and McDonalds while those like Nike temporarily stopped using him in ads. Bryant also missed some of his team’s games but by the time he rejoined them, he performed well and took them all the way to the NBA final.

This wonderful performance helped many people to put the whole saga behind them and Kobe Bryant started regaining his popularity. His team handed him a mind-blowing seven-year contract worth $136 million.

Sponsors such as Nike flocked back and started using his images in TV ads in 2005. All this helped him to rejig his career and he went on to play for the next ten years. During this period, he set several scoring records and received multiple All-Star nods. He also led the L.A. Lakers to two more championships in 2009 and 2010.

The Lakers star was also called up to the U.S. national team that went to the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and he won gold with them. By the time Kobe Bryant called time on his career in 2016, he had firmly put the sexual assault saga behind him. He retired as a bonafide legend of the game. Several TV commercials and video tributes were commissioned on his behalf. The Lakers also held a massive ceremony in his honor where his jersey numbers 24 and 8 were permanently retired.

His Marriage to Vanessa Also Survived and They Went On To Have Four Beautiful Children Together

Asides from his career and an even more important aspect of Kobe Bryant’s life that the whole sexual assault saga affected was his marriage to his wife, Vanessa Laine. He and Vanessa had been married for just two years and had just welcomed their first child when he allegedly committed the sexual assault. Of course, he insisted that it was consensual but this did not do him any favors at all. Whether his encounter with Faber was consensual or forced, the fact remained that he had cheated on his wife.

This devastated Vanessa but she chose not to divorce her husband. She rather stood by his side and supported him through it all. It wasn’t easy though. The stress of the whole ordeal caused her a lot of heartbreak. It also contributed to her suffering a miscarriage in 2005. Kobe Bryant did his best to make amends. Apart from taking his vows more seriously, he also got Vanessa an 8-carat purple diamond ring worth $4 million. The couple was able to rebuild their marriage and remained together until his death in 2020.

During the course of their 18-year union, they welcomed a total of four daughters namely Natalia (b. 2003), Gianna (b. 2006), Bianka (b. 2016), and Capri (2019). Bryant himself was very grateful for Vanessa’s understanding and support. He thanked her for not divorcing him, taking their child, and walking away with half of his money, which she could have easily done. He also pointed out that it was a man’s duty to protect his family and that he had failed on that occasion.

Katelyn Faber Now Lives in Colorado With Her Son and Husband

It has been nearly two decades since the sexual assault saga and in that time, Katelyn Faber has stayed away from the spotlight. She avoided any news interviews or writing any memoirs. This could have been her own way to regain a semblance of normalcy in her life. It could also have been the terms of the settlement she signed with Bryant. Whichever it is, the lady is living her life under the radar and as such, it is hard to know what she is up to. There are however some unconfirmed reports that Katelyn Faber is married to a man named Cort Colon and they have a son together. She and Colon make their home in Parker, Colorado and their son was reportedly born in 2011.

Tabloid reports also have it that Katelyn Faber nearly overdosed on cocaine in 2011. According to the report, she had taken a half bag of cocaine and wine and started complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath some hours later. Her partner eventually called the police who resuscitated her before taking her to the hospital. The story generated a lot of mixed reactions with some people saying negative things about Faber. This shows that public opinion is still polarized towards the whole incident. Many people see Katelyn as some promiscuous woman who deliberately wanted to ruin Bryant’s career. A few others however believe that her accusations were genuine.

She Refused To Comment on Kobe Bryant’s Death in 2020

Despite her best efforts to stay under the radar, Katelyn Faber’s name still gets dragged into the spotlight occasionally. For instance, following Kobe Bryant’s tragic death in a helicopter crash in January 2020 alongside his daughter, Gianna, and seven others, many people paid him tribute. People also remembered Faber and reached out to her for a comment. One of her lawyers from the criminal trial responded on her behalf and stated that she would not be making any comment. He thanked the public for respecting Faber’s privacy and described what had happened as enormously tragic.

Katelyn Faber also made the news in September 2021 after newly-released documents from the FBI revealed that a man named Patrick Grabber wanted to kill her in return for a $3 million payment.

Grabber is a citizen of Switzerland and is a bodybuilder. He emailed Bryant in 2003 offering to make his sexual assault case go away for a fee. The basketball player informed the authorities who set up a sting operation for Grabber.

They apprehended him and charged him with one count of solicitation and one count of solicitation to dissuade a witness. Grabber was sentenced to a three-year prison term in 2004. He was subsequently deported to Switzerland after serving his prison term and committing another offense.

FAQs

  • Who is Katelyn Faber? Katelyn Faber was born in Eagle, Colorado, on June 18, 1985. She became known after accusing Kobe Bryant, a professional basketball player, of sexual assault in 2003 when she was working at a hotel in Cordillera. She later became a participant on the American Idol TV show.
  • What incident made Katelyn Faber famous? Katelyn Faber became prominent in 2003 when she accused the late NBA star Kobe Bryant of sexual assault at the Cordillera Hotel, where she was working at the time. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court.
  • What happened to the case between Katelyn Faber and Kobe Bryant? Katelyn did not testify in the criminal trial, leading to its dismissal in September 2004. Later, she filed a civil lawsuit against Kobe Bryant which resulted in an out-of-court settlement. The details of the settlement were not made public.
  • What was the impact of the case on Kobe Bryant? The case had significant impacts on Kobe Bryant’s personal and professional life. His reputation was tarnished, and he lost numerous lucrative brand deals as a result of the allegations. Bryant’s wife, Natalia, also filed for divorce a few months after the incident.
  • How did the case affect Katelyn Faber’s life? The incident had a profound effect on Faber’s life, leading to intense scrutiny and backlash from the public. Post-trial, she retreated from public view. She has struggled with depression and PTSD but has also used her experience to raise awareness about sexual assault.
  • Where is Katelyn Faber now? Currently, Katelyn Faber lives a private life with her husband, Cort Colon, and their son. She has chosen to stay away from public attention and maintains a low profile on social media.
  • What is Katelyn Faber’s net worth? Katelyn Faber’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million. She is believed to have received $2.5 million from the settlement of her civil lawsuit against Kobe Bryant.
  • Is Katelyn Faber active on social media? After the incident, Faber opted for a more private life, limiting her social media presence to close friends and family members only.
  • What is Katelyn Faber’s educational background? Katelyn Faber attended Eagle Valley Senior High School and later pursued her higher education at the University of Northern Colorado. However, her field of study was never specified.
  • What was Katelyn Faber’s involvement with the American Idol TV show? Katelyn Faber participated in the American Idol TV show. This stint was separate from the incident with Kobe Bryant and allowed her to showcase her singing talent. However, it did not lead to a long-term career in the entertainment industry for her.

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