Brittney Griner's Wife Encouraged Her Faith Throughout 2022 Detainment In Russia
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Brittney Griner always has her biggest fan by her side.
In February 2022, the WNBA star made headlines when she was detained in Russia, after authorities found cannabis oil in two of her vape cartridges at an airport near Moscow. (She later pled guilty to the charges, saying that “There was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law.”) She was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony, but was ultimately released from Russian custody in a December 2022 prisoner swap, per CNN.
Now, Brittney is opening up about her story for the first time. On May 7, the Phoenix Mercury center is releasing her memoir Coming Home, which will focus on her nearly year-long imprisonment. Just days before on May 1, she appeared in a 20/20 special with Good Morning America host Robin Roberts, detailing the conditions of her ordeal. Those included frigid temperatures, hard labor, and spider infestations, amongst other horrors.
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Upon not knowing if she'd ever make it home, Brittney even contemplated suicide, telling Robin, "I felt like leaving here so badly."
Ultimately, Brittney is still working through the ordeal, adding, "I don't think I've really gotten through all the way. At the end of the day, it's my fault. And I let everybody down."
But throughout her detainment, her wife Cherelle Griner had her back, continually calling on the Biden White House to bring her home. The two are currently expecting their first child.
"Can’t believe we’re less than three months away from meeting our favorite human being 🤍," Cherelle captioned a joint Instagram post.
So, who is Brittney’s wife and how did she help Brittney? Here’s what you need to know.
How did Brittney and Cherelle meet?
Brittney and Cherelle met as undergraduates at Baylor University in Texas, according to Us Weekly. However, they didn’t start dating until after Brittney split from her first wife, Glory Johnson, in 2016.
Brittney paid tribute to her wife on Instagram in June 2020, noting that she will “never forget” the day she met Cherelle at Baylor.
“You tapped me on my shoulder and told me I took your milkshake (still up for debate lol) and I was immediately blown away at your beauty!” she wrote. “You had no idea but I knew you were the one for me baby. You stuck by my side at the lowest and at the highest!”
How long have they been married?
Brittney and Cherelle got married in 2019, according to Us Weekly. So, they’ve been married for about four years.
Before that, Brittney was married to fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson back in 2015. Their wedding was featured in The New York Times "Vows" column, but the romance did not last. Griner filed for an annulment only 28 days after they got married, per USA Today. Johnson had announced she was pregnant via sperm donation the day before.
The annulment was not granted, and the couple remained married until their divorce was finalized in 2016, TMZ reported.
What does Cherelle Griner do for a living?
Cherelle is a former teacher, and graduated from the North Carolina Central University of Law in May 2022, according to BET. She officially passed the bar exam in April 2023.
Brittney posted on Instagram about how proud she was of Cherelle for passing the bar. "There aren't enough words for me to express how abundantly proud I am of you baby," Brittney wrote. "Congratulations Attorney Cherelle Griner."
Cherelle found out about Brittney's detainment through a late-night call.
In a 2024 New York Times profile, Brittney shared the details of how she ended up with the cartridges in the first place. Cherelle typically packed her bags—loading them up with American staples—but this time, she only organized the big roller bags, leaving Brittney responsible for her carry-ons. In a rush, Brittney didn't unpack them, but just hurriedly shoved in a few more essentials in a dash to make her flight.
When Russian officials found her medical marijuana (which had been prescribed by a physician in Arizona), Brittney began frantically calling and texting her family and Cherelle. But, due to the late hour in the United States, they were all asleep.
“It's just so easy to have a mental lapse,” Brittney reflected during her 20/20 special. “Granted, my mental lapse was on a more grand scale. But it doesn't take away from how that can happen."
The next morning, when Brittney's friends and family awoke, her agent arranged for a Russian lawyer to meet her.
What did Cherelle do during Brittney’s detainment?
During Brittney's detainment, Cherelle repeatedly posted on Instagram, urging the Biden administration to take action to bring her wife home. She also appeared on Good Morning America in May 2022 to further urge the United States government to take action on getting Brittney home. During the appearance, she also confirmed she spoke to United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken about the situation.
"You say she's top priority, but I wanna see it, and I feel like to see it would be me seeing BG on U.S. soil," Cherelle reportedly told Blinken, per US Weekly.
On December 11, 2022, she posted for the first time since Brittney's homecoming. The post featured a collage of photos of those who helped advocate and bring her wife home, and Cherelle thanked lots of people, including the Biden-Harris administration, for their help.
"Yesterday my heart was made whole thanks to the collective efforts of MANY! I’m humbled by their hearts. To care for another, a stranger to some, a friend to some—is humanity in its purest form!" she wrote in the caption.
"As BG and I start our journey to heal our minds, bodies, and spirits—I wanted to personally say thank you to some of the hands; seen and unseen, that helped make it possible for me to see my wife again!"
“I couldn’t imagine enduring this fight to get my wife home safely and quickly in my own strength!” she wrote in June 2022. "I’m humbled that I do not have to! Every voice 𝐈𝐒 vital in the fight to get BG home.”
Cherelle’s other posts about her wife celebrated four years together:
Before Brittney was freed, Cherelle also posted several IG Stories, including various prayer vigils in honor of her wife, and other accounts' posts supporting Brittney.
Cherelle also spoke to the Associated Press, telling the outlet that the couple previously hadn't been able to speak to each other for four months at a time, despite Griner's apparent attempts to get in touch via the U.S. embassy in Moscow.
“I was distraught. I was hurt. I was done, fed up,” Cherelle told the Associated Press.
She helped Brittney get through the ordeal.
The thought of getting home to Cherelle kept Brittney going through her months in prison. Cherelle, who is a preacher's daughter, wrote her wife often-delayed letters instructing her to lean into her faith, per the New York Times. The warden let Brittney have a Bible, and she studied it every morning. Her favorite verse: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”
When Brittney was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony, her Russian lawyers called Cherelle on FaceTime, holding the phone up to the bars of Brittney's cage. On the call, the two cried together.
Cherelle spoke about Brittney's release at the White House.
Standing next to President Biden during his announcement of the prisoner swap, Cherelle spoke out about the “darkest moments” of her life, per The New York Times.
"Today my family is whole," she said. "The most important emotion I have right now is sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration. He just mentioned that this work is not easy, and it hasn’t been," she said, adding that she is feeling for the family of Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned in Russia.
They're currently expecting their first child.
The couple just revealed that they’re expecting their first child together.
“Can’t believe we’re less than three months away from meeting our favorite human being 🤍 #BabyGrinerComingSoon #July2024,” they wrote in April 2024, via a joint statement on Instagram. In the photos, Cherelle's bump can be seen next to their hands and ultrasounds of their little bundle of joy.
A friend of Cherelle's also shared BTS pictures from the couple’s baby shower, which featured a three-tiered cake topped with a teddy bear and cookies in the shape of pink onesies and baby bottles.
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