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Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner initiated divorce proceedings against her spouse Cherelle, whom she married in 2019, according to court documents filed Thursday. The couple, who share a son together, will appear before a judge on September 1 for a hearing on the matter. Griner cited the marriage as “irretrievably broken” in her filing.
Cherelle emerged as a prominent advocate during her wife’s detention in Russia, repeatedly urging Biden administration officials to secure Griner’s release following her February 2022 arrest at a Moscow airport. After authorities discovered vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in Griner’s luggage, a Russian court sentenced her to nine years in prison in August 2022, a verdict she appealed unsuccessfully that October.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist returned to the United States in late 2022 following a prisoner exchange involving convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. At a public celebration with then-President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Cherelle expressed gratitude for the administration’s efforts while calling attention to other Americans still detained abroad, including Paul Whelan.
In her memoir, Griner acknowledged concerns about the relationship’s future, writing that Cherelle had promised to wait through her sentence despite the strain. Griner currently plays for the Connecticut Sun after her previous stint with the Atlanta Dream. The divorce marks her second; she previously dissolved her 2015 marriage to fellow WNBA player Glory Johnson after one year.
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