Brittney Griner Recalls Feeling 'Less Than Human' In Russian Prison
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Brittney Griner is opening up about her 10-month ordeal in a Russian penal colony for the first time.
The WNBA star, 33, has answered questions about her imprisonment before, but she's has never agreed to a sit-down interview—until now. She'll discuss the detainment with Good Morning America host Robin Roberts in a new primetime special from 20/20 and ABC News Studios, which will air May 1.
In a clip from the upcoming special, Brittney detailed the conditions she endured while living in a penal colony in the region of Mordovia, circumstances that made her feel "less than a human."
Coming Home
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"The mattress had a huge blood stain on it," she recalled. "I had no soap, no toilet paper."
The interview comes ahead of Brittney's upcoming memoir, Coming Home, which will focus on her nearly year-long imprisonment in Russia. The ordeal first began when she was arrested in February 2022 for possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. She was sentenced to nine years in prison and ultimately freed in December of that same year, in a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
So, where is Brittney now? Here’s everything to know.
She’s releasing a memoir this spring.
Brittney has been through a lot, and she’s finally ready to share her story. Her highly-anticipated memoir, entitled Coming Home, drops on May 7.
“Coming Home is a story of hope and survival, of before and after,” she wrote in an February Instagram post announcing her book's release date. “Before, on my way to Russia, a place I’ve called my second home, I was excited to win another title. For eight seasons I played there, won there, and lived there for long stretches. A short time later and a world away, I woke up in an after I’d wish on no one.”
Coming Home
amazon.com
$27.00
The book “begins in a land where my roots developed and is the diary of my heartaches and regrets,” Brittney added. “But, ultimately, the book is also a story of how my family, my faith, and the support of millions who rallied for my rescue helped me endure a nightmare."
In an April 2023 post, the center explained that she hopes her story will draw attention to other wrongfully detained Americans abroad, like former Marine Paul Whelan and journalist Evan Gershkovich.
She’s partnered with ESPN for a documentary about her story.
Brittney's experience abroad will also be told in a documentary, with the basketball star announcing in December that she’s partnered with ESPN and Disney Entertainment Television for several projects on their platforms. This includes a documentary feature from ESPN Films and a scripted series development with ABC Signature, according to ESPN.
“The last two years have been the most harrowing, transformative and illuminating period of my life, and I am grateful to be in a place now to share my story with the world,” Brittney said in a statement at the time.“I’m proud to partner with ESPN and Disney to share this very personal story because of its incredible potential to inspire hope around the world and their proven ability to do just that.”
She'll also tell her story in a 20/20 special.
In April, 20/20 and ABC News Studios released the first clip from Brittney's upcoming special, marking her first sit-down interview about the ordeal. In it, she details the "less than human" conditions in the penal colony where she lived, including a bloody mattress and zero sanitary products.
In the clip, Brittney got emotional while sharing the suicidal thoughts she experienced during her detainment.
"There were times when you felt like, 'Let me just end it,'" host Robin Roberts described.
"Yeah," Brittney replied with tears in her eyes. "Just didn't think I could get through what I needed to get through."
The special will also feature interviews with Brittney's wife Cherelle, her agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas, and Special Presidential Envoy of Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, per People.
She re-signed with the Phoenix Murcury.
Earlier that same month, Brittany announced that she'll once again play with the Phoenix Mercury, where she has played since 2013.
"Phoenix is home," Griner said in an April 2 press release. "The love and support my wife and I have received from the organization, community and X-Factor over the last 11 years has meant everything to us. I’m excited to continue my career in a Mercury jersey and work towards bringing another championship back to the Valley."
Brittney used to play basketball overseas in the WNBA off-season, but in an April press conference, she will no longer do that, per CBS News. “I'm never going overseas to play again unless I'm representing my country at the Olympics,” she said. “As much as I would love to pay my light bill for the love of the game, I can't.”
She could be headed to the Olympics this summer.
On March 28, Team USA released the names of 14 players who were selected for Team USA's training camp in Cleveland, Brittney's included. Also among those names? University of Iowa star Caitlin Clark.
By making the camp, Brittney is now in the pool of candidates who could play for Team USA in the 2024 Olympics, per Bleacher Report.
Of course, this isn't the first time Brittney has represented her country at an international level. She helped lead the U.S. women's national basketball team to gold medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2020 Tokyo games.
She’s loving life with wife Cherelle Griner.
Brittney’s wife Cherelle was very vocal about getting her wife back during her 10-month detainment in Russia. Now, the two are making up for lost time.
Most recently, Brittney shared a sweet photo of herself and Cherelle cuddling on Valentine’s Day, along with the message, “When I think of L.O.V.E. the first and only thing that comes to mind is Y.O.U❤️.”
In October, the couple stayed at a California hotel for Brittney's birthday, enjoying excursions going golfing and fishing.
"None of this would of happen without my baby @cherelletgriner planning and executing this amazing trip," she said on Instagram. "I love you so much my heart ❤️!"
Brittney also called Cherelle a “perfect woman” while celebrating her wife's birthday in July.
"Without her I wouldn’t have found my person," she wrote on Instagram. "I wouldn’t know what love is and I for sure would feel alone in this world if you weren’t here. I love you baby with my whole heart."
Can't wait to see what's next for you, Brittney!
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