It’s been over a yr since Brittney Griner boarded a aircraft headed dwelling from Russia. The WNBA participant spent practically ten months locked up after a Russian courtroom sentenced her to 9 years in jail for tried drug smuggling. Now, Griner is opening up in an upcoming ABC particular about what she felt throughout her imprisonment.
Brittney Griner Sheds Tears Recalling Time In Russia
As talked about, Griner lately sat with ‘Good Morning America’ host Robin Roberts and detailed her expertise at size for the primary time.
The total interview gained’t be out till subsequent month. Nonetheless, in a particular preview by PEOPLE, Brittney Griner grew to become visibly emotional whereas recalling her ideas of self-harm on the time. She described a second the place she had entry to a knife and nearly thought-about utilizing it on herself.
“I used to be simply so scared about every thing,” Griner mentioned in tears, recalling her sentencing.
See what else she shared beneath.
What Else Did Brittney Reveal?
As talked about, Griner was in the end sentenced to almost a decade in a penal colony. This occurred in Aug., nearly six months after Russian officers detained her at a Moscow airport in Feb. 2022. On the time, that they had found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her baggage.
She had pled responsible to the costs in July 2022 however denied that she meant to interrupt the legislation and admitted to creating “an sincere mistake.” She seemingly maintained this stance in her forthcoming ABC Particular.
Chatting with Robin Roberts, Griner described the second airport officers requested her to undergo her bag. When she felt the cartridge, Brittney Griner says her first thought was, “My life is over proper right here.”
The professional-athlete informed Roberts that she had by no means introduced hashish into the nation earlier than. Earlier than her arrest, Brittney had traveled to Russia to play ball there throughout the American low season.
Her return dwelling got here in Dec. 2022 when the U.S. and Russia facilitated a prisoner swap — Griner for Russian arms supplier Viktor Bout.
Over A Yr Later, Brittney & Her Spouse Have Began New Chapters
Since her return dwelling, Brittney Griner and her spouse Cherelle have written extra optimistic chapters of their story.
In Feb. 2023, a yr after her detainment, she re-signed with the WNBA Phoenix Mercury staff on a $165,000 one-year contract. On the high of this month, she signed with the staff once more, per CNN.
Extra excellent news? The couple introduced earlier this month that they had been anticipating their first little one collectively. The newborn is due in July.
Griner is already a mother or father of twins together with her ex-wife, Glory Johnson. They welcomed the youngsters in 2015 earlier than ending their union the next yr.
In the meantime, Cherelle has added a few firsts to her roster. Moreover being a first-time mom, she formally grew to become a lawyer in April 2023, per PEOPLE.
Brittney’s ABC ’20/20′ particular premieres on Could 1. Her memoir concerning the expertise will hit the stands on Could 7.
