Brittney and Cherelle Griner.Photo: Brittney Griner/Instagram
Cherelle Griner, the wife of WNBA starBrittney Grinerwho has beendetained in Russia since February, is done being quiet.
In an interview withCBS Morningson Tuesday, Cherelle spoke toGayle Kingabout the Brittney’s situation, one day after the two-time Olympic gold medalistsent a handwritten lettertoPresident Joe Bidenpleading for her return.
But now, more than 140 days since her arrest, Cherelle said, “I will not be quiet anymore.”
“I will find that balance of harm versus help and pushing our government to do everything that’s possible because being quiet means they are not moving, they are not doing anything,” she said.
As for the letter Brittney sent to the president, Cherelle said her wife wrote directly to Biden because of the “failed attempts we have had as a family.”
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“It kills be every time when I have to write her and she’s asking ‘have you met with them yet?’ and I have to say no,” Cherelle told King. “My family has tried to no avail so I’m gonna do it myself.”
During the interview, Cherelle also spoke about why sending the letter on July 4 was important to Brittney.
“BG cherishes the Fourth of July,” Cherelle said, “her dad was in the Vietnam War and so she uses it as a day to honor his service and freedom. I know that it’s killing her that she wasn’t able to do her annual firework show and put chairs out in the lawn for all of us to sit and down and just to give him the respect due.”
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“On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those men who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran,” Brittney wrote. “It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.”
According to Cherelle, Brittney would also joke that if she wasn’t a basketball player, she would want to join the military. “My sister’s in the military and she tells BG all the time ‘You’re too tall, we wouldn’t take you,'” Cherelle remembered fondly.
Tim Clayton/Corbis/Getty; Ting Shen/Bloomberg/Getty
Also in the letter, Brittney pleaded for freedom and expressed her fear that she may never return home.
“… as I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends,Olympic jersey or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” she wrote.
“I share those same sentiments,” Cherelle admitted.
Cherelle also revealed President Biden has not yet responded to Brittney’s plea. “It’s honestly very disheartening,” she said.
KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images
In the interview, Cherelle also reacted to Brittney’s charge of transporting a “large-scale” quantity of drugs.
“It blew my mind,” Cherelle said. “I’m like large-scale? I live with BG every day, and so there’s no way possible. So I knew it wasn’t true the minute that I heard the charge because I know my wife,” she said. “BG does not large-scale do anything in traffic of drugs. It was very very hard to hear that charge.”
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On Friday, she began her trial in Russian court and will remain in custody until hearings are complete, her lawyer Alexander Boykov toldThe New York Times.
If convicted, Brittney faces up to 10 years in prison. Her trial will resume on July 7.
source: people.com
