"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! Airport security found hashish oil in vape cartridges in her bag and accused Brittney of trying to smuggle drugs into the country. "I'm grateful that my wife was willing to go overseas and make sure that I could go to law school and that we could have a home and things like that," Griner told Hostin. "Be her strength for her right now, because she doesnt have it," Griner said of her wife. "For the most part they try kind of keep updated as possible on what's happening with the negotiations", For those feeling helpless thinking of the situation Brittney is in, Griner said, "words make a big difference," so she's set up a letter writing campaign through "We Are BG" to remind her that she's "important" and "impossible to forget.". The White House says Biden assured her he's working to secure Brittneys release as soon as possible, as well as Paul Whelan. Now, Cherelle Griner said she hopes her voice reaches . So, they've been married for about three years. Since Brittney's detainment in February, Griner has been working to bring awareness to her case through her initiative "We Are BG," which is committed to bringing all wrongfully detained Americans home. Natasha Dye is a writer-reporter for PEOPLE Digital covering sports. Additionally, the outlet shares that Cherelle requested for folks to write Brittney positive messages "using the hashtag #WeAreBG or go on weareBG.org.". Her wife Cherelle claims it was "politically" motivated. The basketball star Brittney Griner is working on a memoir about her nearly 10 months behind bars in Russia, she said on Tuesday, adding that she hoped the . ET. Griner thanked several members of the Biden administration, the Phoenix Mercury, the WNBPA and Brittneys agency for doing all they could to keep the WNBA superstar in the spotlight after she was detained, sentenced and then transferred to a Russian penal colony in the final moments of her detention. Brittney appealed to President Joe Biden, asking him to come to her aid and bring her home. Every voice vital in the fight to get BG home.. So, who is Brittneys wife and how did she help Brittney? Still, "the fear is the fact that there's so much discretion here. Cherelles 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. It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. This weekend, Cherelle Griner shared her first Instagram post since the WNBA star's release. If you think about just a person's suffering and when they have suffered to a maxshe was at the max that day.". She had been detained in Russia since February 2022, after authorities claimed to have found cannabis concentrate in her vape cartridges at an airport near Moscow. They most recently urged the Biden administration to help journalist Evan Gershkovitch, who was recently detained in Russia. According toher LinkedIn page,Cherelle attended Baylor University between 2010 and 2014 and majored in political science and government while minoring in family and child studies. "And so to me, as much as everybody's telling me a different definition of what BG is, it feels to me as if she's a hostage.". 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!". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Now, the U.S. government has agreed to an exchange Brittney for Viktor Bout, a man known as the Merchant of Death who sold weapons to terrorists, rebels, and militants around the world before being arrested for conspiring to kill Americans, the New York Times notes. Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury during a game against the Las Vegas Aces in Tempe, Ariz., on Oct. 3. Johnson had announced she was pregnant via sperm donation the day before. Fox News' Nick Kalman contributed to this report. I didnt want to break the law.). A Russian court later upheld the sentence and on November 4, Brittney was moved to a penal colony in Russia. "Please honor our privacy as we continue to work on getting my wife home safely.". Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Mens Health, Womens Health, Self, Glamour, and more. ', WNBA Star Brittney Griner Released from Russian Custody in Prisoner Swap, See the Joyful Moment Brittney Griner's Wife Cherelle Learned the WNBA Star Was Coming Home, Brittney Griner Is 'Safe' and 'on Her Way Home' After Russian Prison Release, Says President Biden, Brittney Griner's Family Says They're Embarking on the 'Road to Healing' After Her Release, Brittney Griner Flying Straight to San Antonio for Medical Care, Will Reunite with Wife and Family, Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Plan to Help Families of Other Political Prisoners, Brittney Griner and Cherelle Griner's Relationship Timeline, Cherelle Griner on Wife Brittney's Emotional Homecoming After Release from Russia: 'We're Holding on Tight', Paul Whelan, Imprisoned in Russia Since 2018, Is 'Disappointed' in U.S. Efforts to Secure His Release, released in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout. On December 8, 2022, the basketball star was released from jail in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, officials said. exchange Griner and and another American detained by Russia, Paul Whelan. "Shes very afraid about beingleft and forgotten in Russia orjust completely used to thepoint of her detriment, becauseshes like, you know, sayingthings to me like, 'my life justdont even matter no more,'" she told King. "I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner, stands listening to a verdict in a courtroom in Khimki just outside Moscow Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. She also worked as a teacher and graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor's degree in political science and government. On Dec. 8, 2022, the world learned that President Joe Biden had struck a deal with Russia to bring Brittney home. Brittney Griner's wife Cherelle is opening up about their "journey to heal," and thanking those who helped her along the way, as she advocated for her wife's return from a Russian prison for several months. "To see that the totality of the circumstances of who she is as a person was not taken into account when they rendered a decision, it makes me feel like this at this point has to be political," Cherelle said. Biden read her a draft of a letter he's sending to Griner. Why Trust Us? Brittney was then imprisoned for seven months and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony in August 2022. She was previously placed in Moscow jail in February 2022 and was charged with drug smuggling. "It didnt come easy, I almost chose not to do it! Michael Gonzales / NBAE via Getty Images file, Video from Russia appears to show Brittney Griner at airport customs. The Olympic gold medalist and the teacher met. WNBA star Brittney Griner's wife has posted on Instagram about the Phoenix Mercury player's detention in Russia. Brittney Griner has been released by Russia post-sentencing to nine years in a penal colony. WNBA star Brittney Griner's wife has posted on Instagram about the Phoenix Mercury player's detention in Russia. Its understandable to have questions about Brittney and her personal life while all this news is swirling, and especially when her wife has been front and center of efforts to bring her home. "Yesterday my heart was made whole thanks to the collective efforts of MANY! He has been jailed on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Distractify is a registered trademark. "You may now address me as Counselor," Cherelle Griner wrote on social media. "Please do all you can to bring us home.". The offense could carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. She was in Russia playing basketball during the WNBA off-season. Brittney was detained in Russia when she was passing through security at an airport near Moscow on February 7, 2022. "Today my family is whole, but as you all are aware there is a whole of families who aren't," she said. "To see that the totality of the circumstances of who she is as a person was not taken into account when they rendered a decision, it makes me feel like this at this point has to be political," Griner said. During Brittney's detainment, Cherelle repeatedly posted on Instagram, urging the Biden administration to take action to bring her wife home. President Biden met Friday at the White House with Cherelle Griner, the . Griner, a center for the Mercury, has played in Russia in the winter for the last seven years. Ever since the news of her arrest broke, her wife Cherelle Griner and fans have pushed hard for her freedom. She also met with President Joe Biden on Sept. 16. We do understand that theres still people out here who are enduring what I endured the last 9 months of missing, tremendously, their loved ones. "You could hear that she was not OK," Cherelle said of Brittney, adding that her wife spent 30 seconds to two minutes on the call crying. Cherelle Griner said her wife, WNBA star Brittney Griner, is being held "hostage" in her first interview since a Russian court sentenced the basketball player to nine years in prison for drug possession in August. star Brittney Griner. Griner was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on Feb. 17 after Russian authorities said she had vape cartridges with cannabis oil inside her luggage. IE 11 is not supported. Thankfully, in the Dec. 8, 2022, phone call President Biden had with Brittney, per CBS News, Cherelle was also present, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Brittney Griner, 32, married Cherelle Watson, who has since changed her name to Cherelle Griner in June 2019. Griner was freed from a Russian penal colony on Thursday in a prisoner exchange for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News. There are people convicted of murder in Russia who [have] a sentence way less than B.G., and it just makes absolutely no sense to me.". On Aug. 4, Brittney was found guilty by a Russian court of an attempt to smuggle illegal drugs into Russia, per The New York Times. He was in the middle of a 25-year sentence in federal prison after he was convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans relating to the support of a Colombian terrorist organization. In between her law work, Cherelle and Brittney have been advocating for the release of Americans since Brittney returned home in December after a 10-month detainment in Russia. She also thanked a few organizations, the Biden-Harris Administration, and SPEHA. Brittney's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, did not dispute the fact that Russian media identified the player as Brittney. Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, had been in Russia to play with a Russian Premier League women's team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, which she had done since 2014 a common practice for WNBA players, who can earn four to five times their salaries in the U.S. Cherelle Griner, who has a legal degree, told King that she believes "a crime should warrant a punishment," but that "it must be balanced.". Legal Statement. President Biden & VP Harris spoke with Brittney Griner's wife Cherelle Griner today. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images). Co-host Sunny Hostin, who's on the WNBA Board of Advocates, pointed out the pay inequity to the league compared to the NBA, saying the reason for Brittney's travels to Russia was so she could supplement her salary. "I'm humbled by their hearts," she wrote. What has Cherelle said about Brittneys detainment? "It tears me to pieces to seethat this is not balanced for mywife right now," she said. Griner's wife Cherelle thanks Biden, saying she is "overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude". Griner told the co-hosts that the denied appeal was "just disheartening" and left her in "complete disbelief. Brittney Griner Flying Straight to San Antonio for Medical Care, Will Reunite with Wife and Family WNBA Stars Turn Focus to Brittney Griner During League's All-Star Weekend: 'It's Hard for All of . Russian officials said Griner was . ET In February 2022, Brittney Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, was arrested at the Moscow airport after authorities allegedly discovered vape cartridges with hashish oil. She told King that she believes President Joe Biden, who has spoken to Cherelle by phone and in person, is "doing what he can" to secure her wife's release, but that she believes doing so would ultimately require the cooperation of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Mean, When To Say 'I Love You' For The First Time, Justin Long And Kate Bosworths Body Language, What Marriage Therapists Want You to Know. In an interview with CBS, Cherelle previously sat down withGayle King to discuss her wife's hostage situation at the time. Cherelle Griner said her wife, WNBA star Brittney Griner, is being held "hostage" in her first interview since a Russian court sentenced the basketball player to nine years in . By Julianne McShane. What Those Dreams About Cheating On Your S.O. Brittney Griner is gonna try the marriage thing again -- the WNBA star just proposed to her longtime girlfriend with a fat ring . But as you all are aware," Cherelle Griner added. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. The Mercury said in astatementthat it has been in contact with her family and representative. Reuters reported on July 7 that Brittney pleaded guilty to the drug charge and said she unintentionally broke the law. Griner noted that Brittney is an international basketball player that's won championships, played undefeated seasons and was awarded MVP of WNBA All-Star Weekend. . Phoenix Mercury. All rights reserved. The exchange agreement between Griner and Bout was reportedly negotiated with Moscow and approved Biden last Thursday. "I beg that the court takes in all of the stakes that was overlooked in the first court and reassess my sentence here," Brittney said, adding that it has been "traumatic" to be away from her family. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. But there was no intent. Cherelle Griner, the wife of the WNBA star, is officially an attorney. Published on December 11, 2022 05:50 PM Brittney Griner 's wife Cherelle is opening up about their "journey to heal," and thanking those who helped her along the way, as she advocated for her. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. A smiling Charelle spoke to the public alongside President Joe Biden at the White House the day the WNBA star was released. In July, NBC News reported that the U.S. had offered toexchange Griner and and another American detained by Russia, Paul Whelan,for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who has been serving a 25-year prison sentence. .css-26w0xw{display:block;font-family:NationalBold,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-weight:bold;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-26w0xw:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(max-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.18581rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0.625rem;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-26w0xw{line-height:1.2;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.28598rem;line-height:1.2;margin-bottom:0rem;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-26w0xw{font-size:1.575rem;line-height:1.1;margin-bottom:-0.5rem;}}Rosala And Rauw Alejandros Body Language, We Just Got Major Intel About Reese And Tom , Taylor Swift And Joe Alwyn's Relationship Timeline, What Those Dreams About Your Ex Really Mean, The 16 Best Couples Retreats To Take In 2023. Who Is Simone Biles' Fianc, Jonathan Owens? On that call, Cherelle said, she didn'tknow if Brittney "has anything left inher tank to continue to wake upevery day and be in a placewhere she has no one.". By Kalhan Rosenblatt. "Final grades dropped, I'll be graduating law school with honors (cum laude)! 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. Brittney had been held in a Russian prison since February, when she was arrested for allegedly carrying hashish oil in her luggage through a Russian airport, per The Athletic. Cherelle will hopefully rest easily now that Brittney is coming home. Cherelle said that he had spoken to Brittney twice by phone while she has been detained, describing the more recent call as "the most disturbing phone call I'd ever experienced.". This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. '", "We spoke only three times so far out of the eight months that [Brittney's] been sentenced," Griner said. Cherelle Griner, the wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, told CNN on Thursday she wants US officials to do whatever they have to do to bring the basketball legend home -- and she needs to see them . The Phoenix Mercury center popped the. She has a masters degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day. She still encourages players to go overseas to play in the off-season if needed, but to "pay attention to the geo political nature of where you're going, because B.G. Brittney Griner, whocame to my country for seven,eight years, and helped mycountry be recognized through sport, paid taxes in my country,helped my country. Her footprint is amazing for Russia. Shes also won several "Player of the Year" awards and is a six-time WNBA All-Star. The wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner has shared some major personal news of her own. The wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner is dealing with "one of the weakest moments of my life" as the Phoenix Mercury player remains detained in Russia after hashish oil was allegedly found in . "BG and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul," Charelle added. Market data provided by Factset. 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. Legal Statement. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? WNBA Phoenix Mercury basketball player Brittney Griner, right, sits next to her wife, Cherelle Griner, during the first inning of a baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee . Let's start off with the basics. So, theyve been married for about three years. 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