Brittney Griner’s wife breaks silence and urges Biden to act in ‘Good Morning America’ interview

Of Maureen Meihan

Brittney Griner’s wife says the WNBA’s support has brought her “consolation,” but now she wants President Joe Biden to do whatever is necessary to secure Griner’s release from custody in Russia.

“I keep hearing that, you know, he has the power. She’s a political pawn,” Cherelle Griner told Good Morning America. “So if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, I want you to do it.”

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Brittney Griner has been jailed in Russia since February 17 for allegedly having cannabis oil in her pockets when she entered an airport near Moscow, where she was arriving to finish her season with Russia’s UMMC Ekaterinburg. To supplement her low WBNA salary, Griner played in Russia for seven years, where Cherelle says she was treated like a superstar.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist for the United States, is charged with drug smuggling with a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Earlier this month, the Biden administration said Griner was being wrongly imprisoned.

Cherelle has discussed Griner’s case with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, but not with the President.

“I was grateful for the call, you say she’s a top priority but I want to see it. and I want to see that it’s me who sees BG on US soil,” Cherelle told Roberts. “At this point I don’t even know who I’ll get back if she comes back.”

“Every single day counts… to make sure she comes back.”

Cherelle Griner, wife of WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, who has been incarcerated in a Russian prison for almost 100 days, speaks to @robinroberts about the struggle to get her home. https://t.co/A7bpCs5jQp pic.twitter.com/Yv8GFk5hfW

— Good Morning America (@GMA) May 25, 2022

Cherelle, who graduated from North Carolina Central University with her law degree earlier this month, has not spoken to Griner since the day she was first arrested.

“Actually, I first heard the news from Brittney. She started texting me around 2:00 a.m. that morning,” Cherelle said. “‘Baby. Baby. Baby. Wake up. They’ve got me in this room. I don’t know what’s going on.’ and so I immediately write back: “Who are you and what room?”

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Cherelle said Griner texted back, “The customs officers. They just grabbed me as I walked through and they have me in this room.” Griner then said that they would take her phone away soon and that she would call back if she could. Cherelle is still waiting for that call almost 100 days later.

“For the first week, I lay on this couch and cried my eyeballs out. i was deaf I could not move. And then I said, ‘You have to get up now.’”

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Through her attorneys, Brittney Griner sent a bouquet of roses to Cherelle to thank her for the GMA interview as she knew how difficult it would be for her.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.