In the first interview of Brittney Griner, since a Russian court gave the basketball player a nine-year sentence for drug possession in August, Cherelle Griner said her wife, WNBA star Brittney Griner, is generally being held “hostage.”
“CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King remarked that Brittney Griner’s wife “simply seems like a captive on the surface.” To be aware that the negotiations for her release between our administration and the foreign government are ongoing? She is held captive.
The interview was conducted less than three weeks before a Russian court would hear Brittney Griner’s appeal of her nine-year prison term. The sentence was purportedly imposed when Russian officials discovered Griner with vape cartridges made from cannabis in a Moscow airport in February.
The defense of Griner claimed that she utilized marijuana to cure wounds.
Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, had been in Russia since 2014 to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian Premier League, as is customary for WNBA players who can make four to five times as much money as they would in the United States.
Brittney: Spouse and love affairs:
In June 2019, Brittney Griner, 31, wed Cherelle Watson, 28, who adopted the name Cherelle Griner. In May 2022, Brittney Griner’s wife received her law degree from North Carolina Central University and posted a photo of herself on Instagram to celebrate.
Cherelle and Brittney met at Baylor University in Texas, but they didn’t start dating until after Brittney’s 2016 divorce from her ex-wife Glory Johnson. Brittney showed her love for her wife in an Instagram post from 2020, a year after they were wed, where she reflected on their first encounter. The day we first spoke at Baylor in the subarea is a day I’ll never forget! Written Brittney. “I was immediately in awe of your beauty when you tapped me on the shoulder and told me I had taken your milkshake (still up for discussion, lol)!” “I knew you were the one for me, sweetheart, even though you had no idea.
What has Cherelle Griner said about the predicament of her wife?
Cherelle spoke with Gayle King in an interview for CBS about Brittney Griner’s wife’s hostage situation. Cherelle said many things in her first interview since Griner’s conviction in August.
As a result, even though different people have given me varied descriptions of B.G., it feels like she is being held hostage. Cherelle discussed their second conversation since Brittney’s imprisonment in February was even more in-depth. Recently, Brittney Griner has been mentioned in the headlines, with good cause. The WNBA player is currently detained in Russia, where she competes in off-season games after officials allegedly discovered cannabis concentrate in her vape cartridges at an airport close to Moscow.
As of 4th August, according to research, Brittney had been convicted guilty by a Russian court for attempting to bring illegal substances into that Russia. (She had already acknowledged guilt while claiming that “there was no purpose. She was concerned. She might breach the law. According to her attorneys, she received a nine-year prison sentence. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a penal colony is where criminals are sent to be isolated from society. Although the Biden administration has suggested a prisoner swap, the current status of the negotiations is unknown. Her case was transferred to the section of the State Department known as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs was an excellent development. They have a track record of releasing persons successfully, mainly while they are provided the particular designation of being detained in less-than-the-ideal circumstances.
Brittney Griner: who is she?
Let’s start with the fundamentals. Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner’s wife plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA. According to her WNBA bio, the 31-year-old native Houstonian was a part of the 2014 WNBA Championship team, Phoenix Mercury, and the 2016 Olympic gold medal-winning Team USA squad from Rio de Janeiro.
Why is Brittney being held by the Russians?
The Athletic reports that since being arrested in February for allegedly bringing hashish oil through a Russian airport in her luggage, Brittney has been incarcerated in prison in Russia.
According to The New York Times, Brittney Griner’s wife’s case was sent to the office of the U.S. in early May after the U.S. State Department classified her as having been “wrongfully imprisoned,” Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. The amendment allows the American government to pursue negotiations for her release rather than waiting for the conclusion of her trial.
According to CNN, Brittney requested President Joe Biden’s assistance in securing her release in a handwritten letter she wrote to the White House on July 4.
What does Cherelle, her wife, do for a living?
According to her LinkedIn page, Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife, is a former teacher turned attorney who just received her law degree from North Carolina Central University. Since 2019, Griner and Cherelle have been wed. She was detained in Russia in February after having hashish oil discovered in her luggage at the airport.
During her trial, she admitted to the crime but told the judge that she had packed it inadvertently and traveled to Russia with it. She continued by saying she had no desire to violate Russian law. Nevertheless, she was ultimately found guilty and sentenced to 9 years in prison.
The hearing date has been set on October 25 after Brittney Griner’s wife filed an appeal of the decision. Cherelle reports that everything was terrifying when she got home.
Even though everyone has given me a different interpretation of what B.G. is, Cherelle said. She expresses concern that she would never see her wife again.
Occasionally, they never receive the individual back.
Lastly,
President Joe Biden has pledged to use all of his influence to bring Griner home in the meantime. He stated in August that his government and Brittney Griner’s wife would “work relentlessly” until that basketball player returns his own home.