In May, the U.S. State Department reclassified Brittney as being "wrongfully detained" and transferred her case to the office of the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, according to The New York Times. 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 . "You could hear that she was not okay. "I appreciate each and every one of you," Cherelle continued. When asked about the possibility of Brittney's nine-year sentence being politically motivated, Cherelle shared that "there's no other way for [her] to see it except the fact that this is political. While an exact wedding date is not known, it looks like the couple made things official since Cherelle changed her last name to Griner on the social media app. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Cherelle even went into depth about her second call with Brittney since she was arrested in February 2022. Sue Bird On Being The Oldest WNBA Player Before that, Brittney was married to. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP). (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images). (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File), "[Biden] just mentioned this work is not easy. On Thursday, she made a surprise appearance at Rev. Brittney landed back in the United States on Friday, Dec. 9, after 10 months of captivity, according to The New York Times. "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.". Biden read her a draft of a letter he's sending to Griner. "I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don't forget about me and the other American detainees" she wrote. Standing next to President Biden during his announcement of the prisoner swap, Cherelle spoke out about the darkest moments of her life since Brittney's arrest in February, per The New York Times. ", Shouty Man may have been right, Arsenal WONT win Prem & will live to regret it. The State Department has issued a do not travel advisory for U.S. citizens thinking of heading to Russia and urged all U.S. citizens to leave immediately as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine escalates. The couple posed with local justices and officials to commemorate Cherelle's milestone on Sunday. The 31-year-old native Houstonian was a member of Team USAs 2016 gold medal team during 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and a member of the 2014 WNBA Championship team, Phoenix Mercury, according to her WNBA bio. 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. 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, 32, married Cherelle Watson, who has since changed her name to Cherelle Griner in June 2019. Cherelle has also spoken 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. All Rights Reserved. "Best believe, I'll never doubt me again," she continued. Al Sharpton, Rev. 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. Brittney and Cherelle got married in 2019, according to Us Weekly. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me 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.". Griner is "in good health" and will be "offered a wide range of support options" as she returns home, a senior White House official said Thursday. She met her wife, Cherelle Griner, while they both attended Baylor University as undergraduates. "I will never forget the day I met you at Baylor in the sub area! Brittney wrote. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. ", "Our hearts are filled with great concern for Evan Gershkovitch and his family since Evan's detainment in Russia," the Griners wrote. Distractify is a registered trademark. Brittney Yevette Griner (/ r a n r /; born October 18, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Brittney Griner is gonna try the marriage thing again -- the WNBA star just proposed to her longtime girlfriend with a fat ring . ", "We are grateful for President Biden and his administration's deep commitment to rescue Americans. or redistributed. Now that Brittney Griner is finally home following nearly one year in Russian custody, her wife is thanking the people who made her return possible.. The stricken wife of WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner says she is in "one of the weakest moments of my life" over Griner's three-week detention in Russia on drug charges.. Griner, 31, who won . Brittney Griner is one of the best athletes in the WNBA and she always has her sweetheart, Cherelle Griner, cheering her on from the sidelines. 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. March 6, 2022, 8:09 AM PST. "It tears me to pieces to seethat this is not balanced for mywife right now," she said. What Those Dreams About Cheating On Your S.O. Jesse Jackson, Tamika Mallory, and three congress people for their work in getting Brittney back to the states. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. "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. Brittney Griner has been released by Russia post-sentencing to nine years in a penal colony. Griner told the co-hosts that the denied appeal was "just disheartening" and left her in "complete disbelief. President Biden met Friday at the White House with Cherelle Griner, the . He just mentioned that this work is not easy, and it hasnt been, she said, adding that she also remembered the family of Paul Whelan, another American who remains imprisoned in Russia. You stuck by my side at the lowest and at the highest!. AP. WNBA star Brittney Griner celebrated her wife Cherelle's major accomplishment after the 30-year-old law student officially became a lawyer over the weekend. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Come have breakfast with me - we will help Houston together! I love my wife wholeheartedly, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life," Cherelle Griner wrote. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. 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. ", Last week, Brittney appeared virtually for an appeal hearing and urged the court to reassess her sentence and apologized for her "mistake.". During Brittney's detainment, Cherelle repeatedly posted on Instagram, urging the Biden administration to take action to bring her wife home. "I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details," she wrote. "I feel like at this pointits going to take Putin to havethat same mindset and say, 'Youknow what? Over the months, she had steadily put public pressure on the White House not to forget about her wife. "We do understand there are still people out there who are enduring what I endured the last nine months. Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, posted an image of her and her wife Saturday on Instagram, thanking supporters and asking for privacy as the family navigates returning Brittney Griner home. Russian officials said Griner was . A post shared by . (@cherelletgriner), In a Nov. 1, 2022, appearance on The View, Cherelle made it a point to share her beliefs about Brittney's case. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. ", "There is no one way they have to do anything there, and that is very [sic] tetrifying to know they can wake up one day and say yes to something, and wake up one day and say no," she continued. The Biden administration proposed the exchange in the summer as officials were aware Russia had long . she wrote in the caption. 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. Prior to Brittney's denied appeal, her attorney Alexandr Boikov told ABC News, "Her being afraid of not being released is mostly connected to the negotiations, which we are not aware of at all. This Sunday @ 10am! In an Instagram statement made in conjunction with her wife, the WNBA star encouraged the Biden administration to "bring Evan and all wrongfully detained Americans home. Legal Statement. Brittney has played on the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg for the past seven years and is known there, which has prompted some to speculate whether or not her detainment will be used as leverage given what's happening with Russia and Ukraine. President Biden and Vice President Harris spoke with Cherelle after Brittneys personal appeal to the president via a handwritten letter, which arrived at the White House on July 4, per the Midland Daily News. By Julianne McShane. Medical marijuana is illegal in Russia. Johnson had announced she was pregnant via sperm donation the day before. 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. Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Plan to Help Families of Other Political Prisoners During Brittney's first days back in the U.S., she went through Post Isolation Support Activities (PISA). After the news broke that Brittney Griner was released by Russia in a one-for-one prisoner swap, her wife spoke to CBS News' Gayle King about how she learned the WNBA star would finally be free . She graduated from the North Carolina Central University of Law in May 2022 and shared her accomplishment through an Instagram post. On Feb. 17, she was accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in Russia, and detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki. 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 . BGs not here to say this, but I will gladly speak on her behalf and say that BG and I will remain committed to the work on getting every American home, including Paul (Whelan) whose family is in our hearts today as we celebrate BG being home. Brittney and Cherelle got married in 2019, according to Us Weekly. According to her LinkedIn page, Cherelle began studying at North Carolina Central University School of Law in Durham in August 2019. Cherelle Griner (left) and Brittney Griner (right) appear at the NAACP Image Awards. Brittney Griner welcomed home with Christmas tree, BBQ after 10 months in Russian custody. She graduated from the university in May 2022 with honors, she announced in an Instagram post days before her graduation ceremony. Griner's defense argued that she used the cannabis to treat injuries. Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury during a game against the Las Vegas Aces in Tempe, Ariz., on Oct. 3. Im humbled that I do not have to! Britney arrived in Abu Dhabi on Thursday by private plane from Moscow, according to a statement by the Emirati and Saudi foreign affairs ministries. The offense could carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Brittney Griner Rocks an Eagles Jersey at Super Bowl 2023 in Third Public Appearance Since Return to U.S. Brittney Griner and Wife Cherelle Plan to Help Families of Other Political Prisoners, Brittney Griner's Wife Cherelle Says 'Today My Family Is Whole' After WNBA Star's Prison Release, Cherelle Griner on Wife Brittney's Emotional Homecoming After Release from Russia: 'We're Holding on Tight'. They most recently urged the Biden administration to help journalist Evan Gershkovitch, who was recently detained in Russia. He asked after the wellbeing of Elizabeth and Cherelle and their respective families during this painful time.". "I'm humbled by their hearts," she wrote. "Final grades dropped, I'll be graduating law school with honors (cum laude)! Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Cherelle Griner speaks of her emotional turmoil following her wife Brittney's detention in Russia By Wayne Sterling and George Ramsay, CNN Updated 12:16 PM EDT, Wed May 25, 2022 Link. On Aug. 4, Brittney was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison. Additionally, the outlet shares that Cherelle requested for folks to write Brittney positive messages "using the hashtag #WeAreBG or go on weareBG.org.". The deal between the US and the US leaves American corporate security executive and former Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia in what American officials have called fraudulent charges. Market data provided by Factset. But there was no intent. 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. He has been jailed on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless. 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brittney griner new wife