Brittney Griner filed for divorce from his wife Sherelle Griner nearly eight years after they exchanged marriage vows. Star WNBA filed the lawsuit Thursday in Fulton County, Georgia, describing their marriage as "irretrievably broken." The divorce comes four years after Cherelle became Brittney's most prominent defender during the basketball player's nearly 10-month imprisonment in Russia.
Brittney Griner is seeking joint legal custody of their son.
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
According to TMZ, Brittney has set July 24, 2026, as her separation date from Cherelle. The former Phoenix Mercury player, now playing for the Connecticut Sun, is asking the court to grant the couple joint legal custody of their two-year-old son, Bash. Brittney also asked the court to determine whether either party should be required to pay child support and, if so, how much.
Neither Brittney nor Cherelle have made any public statements regarding their divorce. The divorce proceedings are ongoing, while Brittney continues to play in the current WNBA season.
The couple met at Baylor University.
Brittney and Cherelle met while attending Baylor University, and a few years later, they began a romantic relationship. They married in June 2018, and their son, Bash, was born in 2024. After becoming parents, the couple occasionally shared glimpses of their family life, but their relationship was publicly tested when Brittney was detained in Russia in February 2022.
Cherelle, a lawyer by profession, became a leading voice demanding action from the US government while her wife remained abroad. The couple remained together throughout this period and after Brittney's return home in December 2022.
Sherelle Griner fought to bring Brittney home.
Julia Nickinson – CNP / MEGA
Brittney was arrested on February 17, 2022, at an airport near Moscow after Russian authorities reportedly discovered e-cigarette cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. Her detention came amid heightened tensions between the United States and Russia following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
In March, Russian authorities extended Brittney's pretrial detention until May 19, raising concerns about her health and the conditions of her detention. The US State Department demanded access to the basketball player, stating: "We are closely monitoring this case and are in constant contact with Brittney Griner's legal team. We urge the Russian government to provide consular access to all US citizens in Russian custody, including those in pretrial detention like Brittney Griner.".
In May, in an interview with Good Morning America, Sherelle publicly called on the then President Joe Biden intervene. "I keep hearing that he has power. She's a political pawn," she said. "So if they're holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it.".
Sherel lost trust in the government after a missed call.
Jim LoScalzo – Pool via CNP / MEGA
Cherelle's frustration deepened after a planned anniversary phone call between the couple fell through because the U.S. Embassy phone line was reportedly unavailable that weekend. "I was devastated. I was hurt. I was fed up, I was sick of it," Cherelle told the Associated Press.
The State Department later acknowledged the error. "We deeply regret that Brittney Griner was unable to speak with her wife due to a logistical error," a department spokesperson said, adding that the call would be rescheduled.
While in prison, Brittney sent Biden a handwritten letter expressing her fear that she might never return home. "Sitting here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic uniform, or any of my accomplishments, I am terrified that I might be stuck here forever," she wrote.
Brittney Griner returned home as part of a prisoner exchange.
Eric Kowalski / MEGA
After months of negotiations, Brittney was released on December 8, 2022, as part of a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Biden announced the release from the White House, with Cherelle standing by his side.
The former president stated that Brittney's release required "painstaking and painstaking negotiations" and thanked those who "worked tirelessly for her release." "She is grateful to finally be home, and the fact remains that she lost months of her life and suffered unnecessary trauma," Biden said. "She deserves space, privacy, and time with her loved ones to heal and heal from her wrongful detention.".
Cherelle's activism remained central to the public campaign for Brittney's release throughout this period. She participated in interviews, pressured government officials to take action, and continued to draw attention to her wife's detention. Now, nearly four years later, Brittney's divorce filing marks the end of a marriage that has endured one of the most difficult periods in both women's lives.
The article "Brittney Griner files for divorce from wife who fought for her release from Russia" first appeared on The Blast.