Brittney Griner is 'very afraid' and at her 'weakest moment,' wife says

(Image credit: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

published 6 October 2022

Brittney Griner is "very afraid" and feels that she is being forgotten about in Russia, according to her wife, who had a "disturbing" phone conversation with her.

Cherelle Griner spoke with CBS Mornings almost eight months after her wife, Brittney Griner, was arrested in Russia for having cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. Cherelle said she has had two phone conversations with Brittney beginning in August, the first of which left her feeling that "we can survive this." But things changed with the second call.

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In August, Griner was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison after being convicted on drug charges, and she has an appeal hearing scheduled for Oct. 25. But Cherelle Griner told CBS that her wife is "at her absolute weakest moment in life" and is "very afraid about being left and forgotten in Russia." She also said that Brittney told her, "I feel like my life just doesn't matter. Y'all don't see me? Ya'll don't see the need to get me back home? Am I just nothing?"

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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