Eight years after saying "I do," Brittney Griner is moving to end her marriage to Cherelle Griner, the woman who became one of her fiercest advocates during her nearly year-long detention in Russia. Court documents obtained by ABC News show the WNBA star filed for divorce Thursday in Fulton County Superior Court in Georgia. They state that the marriage is "irretrievably broken" and that there is "no hope of reconciliation." The filing says the couple separated on July 24.
The petition requests joint physical custody of the couple's son, Bash, who was born in 2024, along with an equitable division of marital assets and debts.
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The Arrest In Russia
The filing marks a dramatic turn for a relationship that became known far beyond basketball. When Brittney was arrested in Russia in 2022 on drug charges tied to vape cartridges containing hashish oil, Cherelle became the public face of the campaign to bring her home. She appeared on national television, met with government officials, and repeatedly urged the Biden administration to prioritize Brittney's release. Cherelle kept international attention fixed on the case during the athlete's 10-month detention.
Brittney returned to the United States as part of a prisoner exchange in December 2022. She publicly thanked Cherelle for standing beside her through what she described as the most difficult chapter of her life. The couple later welcomed their son, Bash, a milestone that appeared to signal a new beginning after years of extraordinary public scrutiny.
An attorney for Brittney told ABC News the family hopes to resolve the matter privately. Cherelle has not publicly commented on the filing.
