Lakers Icon Pau Gasol Has a Beautiful Family of Four — Meet His Wife and Kids
Published March 8 2023, 1:09 p.m. ET
For six and a half seasons, Pau Gasol was Kobe Bryant’s go-to power forward/center, assisting the Black Mamba in many games and championships. The basketball players also developed a solid bond off the court that lasted until Kobe tragically died in January 2020. On Jan. 26, 2020, Kobe, his daughter Gianna “Gigi” Bryant, and seven other helicopter passengers died in a crash on their way to attend one of Gigi’s games.
Following the tragedy, Pau vowed to support the NBA legend's wife, Vanessa Bryant, and their surviving daughters — Natalia, Bianka, and Capri. Vanessa even attended Pau’s jersey retirement event in March 2023 to celebrate Pau finally getting his #16 jersey in the rafters, right between Kobe’s #8 and #24 jerseys.
While Pau is a beloved member of the Bryant family’s inner circle, the Barcelona, Spain, native has a lovely unit of his own. Here’s everything to know about Pau Gasol’s wife and kids.
Who is Pau Gasol’s wife? Meet Catherine McDonnell.
Pau has been a married man since 2019. In 2015, he met his wife, Catherine McDonnell, and they became engaged in 2016. On July 7, 2019, they married in San Francisco, Calif. Several months later, the couple had a second ceremony in Spain because Pau just had to marry his wife twice.
“Our dream goes on!" Pau wrote about the second wedding on Instagram in 2019. “Yesterday we celebrated our wedding in my country, and I just can say I´m the luckiest guy in the world! Thanks, family and friends, for being the best company on our trip. I love you, Cath."
Catherine is currently the director of communications for Tess Research Foundation. According to its website, Tess Research “was founded to improve the lives of those affected by SLC13A5 Epilepsy.”
Although Catherine has a big job, she routinely makes time for the people she cares about the most. On her Instagram account, fans can see many photos of Catherine with Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri at events or on vacation. She also doesn’t shy away from telling Pau how much she loves and appreciates him and all of the work he does for their family.
“Happy birthday to the best guy I know, @paugasol. I am so lucky to have you as my best friend, soul mate, husband, baby daddy, role model, travel buddy, and so much more,” Catherine wrote under a series of photos of Pau. “Cheers to your best year yet, Papa Pau! 💋😘🥳 Ellie and I adore you. t’estimem. ❤️”
Pau and his wife, Catherine, have two kids, and one is named after Gianna Bryant.
One year after they tied the knot, Pau and Catherine endured several life-changing events together. Following Kobe and Gigi’s January 2020 deaths, the couple, like many of us, were quarantined from their homes due to COVID-19. Pau and Catherine also discovered they were becoming first-time parents during the lockdown, which they shared with the world in July 2020.
“Five years together, four moves, three months in quarantine with my family, two wedding anniversaries, and one baby on the way!” Catherine wrote on Instagram under a photo of her, Pau, and her baby bump. “What a year it has been. You are going to be the best dad, @paugasol! Love you ❤️🍼 #BabyGasolOnTheWay.”
In September 2020, Catherine and Pau welcomed their baby girl, Elisabet Gianna Gasol. Their daughter’s middle name honored Gigi, who would’ve been 14 when Elisabet was born.
Two years after Elisabet’s birth, the Gasols gave fans more exciting news. On Thanksgiving Day 2022, they announced via Instagram that Catherine was pregnant with their second child, who they already knew was a boy at the time of their posts.
Several days after the announcement, Pau shared that their son, Max, had arrived, making them a “family of four.”
“Our baby boy has arrived!!” Pau exclaimed on Instagram. “We are beyond happy to welcome our son to the world. Everything has gone really well, and we are officially a family of four! 💙.”
Catherine, Elisabet, and Max attended Pau’s jersey retirement event in March 2023.
