Basketball star Brittney Griner has filed for divorce from her wife, Cherelle, after eight years of marriage.
The separation comes four years after Griner’s release from a Russian prison.
Griner, who currently plays in the WNBA for the Connecticut Sun, is seeking joint custody of their two-year-old son, Bash. According to court documents, the couple separated on 24 July 2026 after their marriage was “irretrievably broken” with “no hope of reconciliation.”
In 2022, Griner was detained by Russian authorities after customs officials found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. She had been travelling to Russia to play for a Russian basketball team.
Griner pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to nine years in prison, as well as being ordered to pay a fine of one million rubles (approximately AUD$23,900).
In December of the same year, the White House announced that it had struck a deal with Russian authorities. In return for Griner’s release, the United States released convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout from custody. President Joe Biden said the agreement had been achieved after “painstaking and intense negotiations”.
President Biden announced the deal on X (formerly Twitter), sharing photos of Griner’s wife, Cherelle, joining him in the Oval Office. The pair spoke with Griner by phone following her release.
